Electricity and Circuits
Electricity and Circuits
Name: ____________________________________
Date: ______________________
Open the phET simulator: http:
phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/circuit-construction-kit-dc
Find a way to make a single light bulb light up with as FEW parts hooked up as possible. When electricity flows through wires and makes something work, like a light bulb, it is called a circuit.
1. Sketch your circuit below or insert a picture of the circuit from the website. Label your circuit/picture like a schematic diagram
2. What seems to be making the light bulb turn on in your circuit? (what do you think electricity is based on the simulator?)
Make a gap in your circuit. Go to the grab bag and play with the different objects. Find out which objects allow electricity to flow and fill in the data table:
Objects that allow electricity to flow (conductors)
Objects that do NOT allow electricity to flow (insulators)
3. What do the conductors have in common?
4. What do the insulators have in common?
For the next few activities, you need to light up more than 1 bulb at the same time, using just one battery.
First circuit: find a way to hook up your bulbs in a way that if you
eak the connection at one bulb, ALL bulbs go out.
5. Sketch your new circuit or insert a picture of the circuit from the website. Label your circuit/picture like a schematic diagram
6. Why did the rest of the bulbs go out if you
eak the connection at one bulb?
7. This circuit is called a series circuit because the bulbs are hooked up in one long “series” or line. Name somewhere in real life where you have seen a string of lights that are also a series circuit.
CHALLENGE: Second circuit: find a way to hook up your bulbs in a way that if you
eak the connection at one bulb, ONLY that bulb goes out. HINT: what if electricity didn’t have to only flow down one pathway??? You may also want to use much more parts when compared to a series circuit…
8. Sketch this circuit or insert a picture of the circuit from the website. Label your circuit/picture like a schematic diagram
9. Why do the rest of the bulbs stay lit if you
eak the connection at one bulb?
10. This circuit is called a parallel circuit, which has 2 or more single loops connected to the same battery. When 1 bulb goes out in these circuits, the rest of the lights stay on! Name somewhere you have seen many bulbs hooked up to one power source, where one bulb can go out without affecting the others.
11. You design toys for a toy company. Your boss wants you to hook up the lights in the toy car you are working on in the cheapest way possible, without consideration of the quality of the toy. Which circuit should you use if you want to save money by using fewer parts? Why would this circuit be cheaper?
12. You are an electrician working on a house. What type of circuit should you use for the house so that the owners don’t call to complain about their wiring? Why use this circuit?
Experiment with the simulator; see what you can make it do!!!
13. What did you do to make light bulbs glow
ighter?
14. What did you do to make light bulbs glow dimmer?
15. How can you cause a fire? (In the simulator… NOT in the real world!)
16. Post lab write up.
Compare the two different types of circuits, series and parallel. What did they have in common and what did you see that they had differences between them? Why do you think it is important to have both types of circuits, you may do your own research to find the answer to this as well. Need to be at least 5 sentences to receive credit.