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Title
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Series and Parallel Circuits
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Type
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Primary: Laboratory
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Operation
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Infinite Potential
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Mission:
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Mission 3: Power to the People
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Print Page
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57
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Subjects
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Physical science | Electricity | Circuits | Science as inquiry | Science process skills | Predicting | Science
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Grades
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5 | 6 | 7 | 8
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Keywords
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series circuit, parallel circuit, electrical path, multimeter, D-cell, battery, Ohm's Law, ohmmeter, resistance, volt, current, brightness, loop, lamp, voltage
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Duration
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01:30:00 (HH:MM:SS)
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Audience
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Teachers | Elementary Grades | Junior High
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Created On
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4/13/2009
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Copyright
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Light bulb photo: Wikimedia Commons; Coil photo: Giovanni Dall’Orto
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From: Infinite Potential Mission 3: Power to the People (pp: 57) |
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Series and Parallel Circuits In this activity, you will construct a series circuit and a parallel circuit. You will then have the opportunity to explore these electrical paths using a multimeter. As you collect data, you will discover unseen differences in these circuit types. |
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 Larry Shadle is researching how to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants. Coal-fired power plants are one way of generating the electrical energy that flows through circuits in your home, powering devices for everyday use. In this activity, you will construct a series circuit and a parallel circuit. You will then have the opportunity to explore these electrical paths using a multimeter. As you collect data, you will discover differences in these circuit types.
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| Lab Prep |
- Review Ohm’s Law in the Math Tools section. Summarize the relationship expressed by current, voltage, and resistance.
- Insert the battery and lamps into their holders.
- Review the operation of a multimeter. Set it to measure resistance, and place the leads on the two contacts of the lamp holder. Measure and record the resistance of this lamp. Using the same procedure, measure and record the resistance of the second lamp.
- Predict the resistance of two lamps that are connected with a single wire. Then, test your prediction.
- Set the multimeter to measure DC voltage, and place one lead on each of the two battery holder terminals. Measure and record the voltage generated by this cell.
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| Making Observations |
- Assemble a basic series circuit using one battery, one lamp, and connecting wires.
- Set the multimeter to measure current. Undo one of the connections, and insert the multimeter into the circuit. Measure and record the current that flows through the circuit.
- Is the current the same throughout the circuit? Test your hypothesis.
- Using Ohm’s Law, predict how adding a second lamp in series will affect the current and lamp brightness.
- What happens to the current and lamp brightness when a second lamp is added? Explain.
- Predict what will happen if you unscrew one of the lamps. Remove the lamp and see what happens. Explain your observations in terms of complete circuit paths.
- Disassemble the series circuit. Reassemble these components into a basic parallel circuit using one battery, two lamps, and connecting wire.
- Use your multimeter to measure the current between the cell and the first lamp. Then, measure the current between the first lamp and the second lamp. Are they the same value? If not, explain the difference.
- Predict what will happen when one of the lamps is removed from the circuit. Remove the lamp and see what happens. Explain your observations in terms of complete circuit paths.
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| Extension |
According to Ohm’s Law, what would happen if you connected two batteries together in parallel? In series? Try it, and measure the effect on the circuits with the multimeter.  | Journal Question
What are some of the possible advantages and limitations of series and parallel circuits? Describe applications of these types of circuits within your home. | |
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