The first step in the scientific method is toASK A QUESTION.The questions we will attempt to answer in this activity are as follows:

1. How is the total current of a circuit affected when connected in series vs. parallel?
2. How is the total current distributed throughout the circuit when connected in series vs. parallel?
3. How is the total voltage distributed throughout the circuit when connected in series vs. parallel?

Before trying to answer these questions, we must outline what we know about series and parallel circuits in order to form our hypothesis.CONDUCT RESEARCHin your course notes to answer the following questions:

When a circuit is arranged in series:

Choose one 2 points

There is only one path the electrons can take through the circuit, and they must pass through all circuit components.

There are multiple paths the electron can take through the circuit, and it is possible to pass through one circuit component but not another.

QUESTION 2

When a circuit is arranged in parallel:

Choose one 2 points

There is only one path the electrons can take through the circuit, and they must pass through all circuit components.

There are multiple paths the electrons can take through the circuit, and it is possible for the electron to pass through one circuit component but not another.

QUESTION 3

FORM A HYPOTHESIS

The following three questions are predictions and points will not be deducted if they are incorrect.We will test our hypothesis based on results from the lab experiment for credit in future questions.

HYPOTHESIS #1 -Total current will be greater when a circuit is connected in:

Choose one 0 points

Series

Parallel

QUESTION 4

HYPOTHESIS#2 -Current will vary throughout a:

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Series circuit

Parallel circuit

QUESTION 5

HYPOTHESIS#3 -Voltage will vary throughout a:

Choose one 0 points

Series circuit

Parallel circuit

QUESTION 6

CONDUCT THE EXPERIMENTusing the Circuit Construction Simulator:

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/circuit-construction-kit-dc

Choose the "Lab" option.

Check the "Values" box in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

Follow the instructions,OBSERVEwhat occurs within the simulation, andRECORDyour results in the questions below.

Choose one 5 points

Click and drag one battery, two resistors, and seven wires from the white box to the left of the screen.

Arrange the pieces into a circuit with the battery on top and the two resistors on the bottom:

Click on the battery and use the slider to change the voltage to 9.0 V.

Click on the left resistor and change the value to 10 Ohms.

Click on the right resistor and change the value to 20 Ohms.

Drag the ammeter from the toolbox on the right. Place the crosshairs of the ammeter on the wire (as pictured below) several places around the circuit to find the current in the wire.What is the current?

0.15 A

0.30 A

0.45 A

0.60 A

QUESTION 7

Is this circuit arranged in series, in parallel, or in both formations?

Choose one 5 points

Series

Parallel

Both series and parallel

QUESTION 8

Based on your answer from the previous question, use one of the following equations to calculate the total resistance of the circuit.

Resistance in Series

Choose one 5 points

Rtotal=R1+R2

Resistance in Parallel

1/Rtotal=1/R1+1/R2

6.67 Ohms

10 Ohms

20 Ohms

30 Ohms

QUESTION 9

Now, using Ohm's Law:

Choose one 5 points

I=V/R

and the total resistance calculated in the previous question, what is the total current of this circuit?

0.15 A

0.30 A

0.45 A

0.60 A

QUESTION 10

Drag the voltmeter from the toolbox on the right. A voltmeter measures the difference in the voltage between two places on a circuit. This is called the voltage drop. Place the contacts of the voltmeter on the circuit on either side of the battery (pictured below).

Choose one 5 points

Note:The voltmeter tells you the voltage drop between the two points in the circuit touched by the probes.

Voltage works in a similar fashion to gravitational potential energy based on height. Balls will only roll down board if one end is higher than the other (so it is sloped). The ball (electron) at the higher end of the board (wire) has lots of potential energy (voltage). The ball will roll down the board (electron will move through the wire) to the lower end of the board that has less gravitational potential (less voltage). You could use a ruler to measure the height difference between the high point of the board and the low point where the ball moves to. This would be the change in height or how hard the ball dropped in height. For the electron, you would use a voltmeter to measure how much the voltage dropped from one point to another.

What is the voltage drop across the battery?

-1.00 V

-3.00 V

-9.00 V

-12.00 V

QUESTION 11

Place the contacts on either side of the 10 Ohm resistor.

What is voltage drop across the 10 Ohm resistor?

Choose one 5 points

-3.00 V

-4.50 V

-6.00 V

-9.00 V

QUESTION 12

What is the voltage drop across the 20 Ohm resistor?

Choose one 5 points

-3.00 V

-4.50 V

-6.00 V

-9.00 V

QUESTION 13

Add together your answers from the previous two questions. Is this number greater than, less than, or equal to the voltage of our battery?

Choose one 3 points

Greater than

Less than

Equal to

QUESTION 14

Change the voltage of the battery from 9 V to 15 V by Ctrl-clicking on the battery and selecting "Change voltage".

Use the voltmeter to remeasure the voltage across each of the resistors. Now how does the total voltage across the resistors compare to that of the battery?

Note:If you receive decimal points for any of your voltmeter readings, please round to the nearest whole number before adding and comparing.

Choose one 5 points

Greater than

Less than

Equal to

QUESTION 15

Change the battery's voltage back to 9 Volts, use three more wires, and rearrange your resistors so that the circuit is set up like this:

Choose one 5 points

Is this circuit arranged in series, in parallel, or in both formations?

Series

Parallel

Both Series and Parallel

QUESTION 16

Based on your answer in the previous question, use one of the following equations to calculate the total resistance of the circuit:

Resistance in Series

Choose one 5 points

Rtotal=R1+R2

Resistance in Parallel

1/Rtotal=1/R1+1/R2

6.67 Ohms

10 Ohms

20 Ohms

30 Ohms

QUESTION 17

Now, using Ohm's Law:

Choose one 5 points

I=V/R

and the total resistance calculated in the previous question, what is the total current of this circuit?

1.35 A

0.90 A

0.45 A

0.30 A

QUESTION 18

Using the ammeter, what is the current through the path with the 20 Ohm resistor?

Choose one 5 points

1.35 A

0.90 A

0.45 A

0.30 A

QUESTION 19

Again, using the ammeter, what is the current through the path with the 10 Ohm resistor?

Choose one 5 points

1.35 A

0.90 A

0.45 A

0.30 A

QUESTION 20

Add your answers for the previous two questions together. What is significant about this number?

Choose one 3 points

This is equal to the total current you found in #17.

This is less than the total current you found in #17.

This is greater than the total current you found in #17.

QUESTION 21

ANALYZE THE RESULTSof the experiment to see if they support your hypothesis.

Use your observations of the circuit construction simulation experiment and your course notes to answer the following questions.

Which statement is true?

Choose one 5 points

When two resistors are connected in series, there is less total current in the circuit than if the two resistors were connected in parallel.

When two resistors are connected in parallel, there is less total current in the circuit than if the two resistors were connected in series.

The total current is the same regardless of if the two resistors are connected in series or in parallel.

QUESTION 22

Which statement is true?

Choose one 5 points

Current varies throughout a series circuit.

Current stays the same through a series circuit.

QUESTION 23

Which statement is true?

Choose one 5 points

Voltage varies throughout a series circuit.

Voltage remains the same throughout a series circuit.

QUESTION 24

Which statement is true?

Choose one 5 points

Current varies throughout a parallel circuit.

Current stays the same throughout a parallel circuit.

QUESTION 25

Which statement is true?

Choose one 5 points

Voltage varies throughout a parallel circuit.

Voltage remains the same throughout a parallel circuit.

QUESTION 26

REVISITYOUR HYPOTHESESfrom the beginning of the activity. If you have any insights or comments you would like toCOMMUNICATEwith your instructor regarding the results of the experiment versus what your original predictions were, please comment in the Feedback below!

Choose one 0 points

Got it!

Don't select this one.