Science 9 Notes Name: _____________

9.1 Series and Parallel Circuits

Series Circuits

• There is only a __________ __________ for current to flow

• The ______ of the voltages lost on the loads equals the total voltage
supplied by the battery

• _________________________________________ in the series circuit ____

_________________________________________

Parallel Circuits

• __________ pathways for current to flow, ___________________________

_____________________________________________________________

• ________________________ through each pathway of the parallel circuit

• ________________________ between the different current pathways

1
Science 9 Notes Name: _____________

Comparing Series and Parallel Circuits

Example 1:

For the circuit on the right, find:

(a) the current through resistor 2

(b) the voltage across resistor 2

2
Science 9 Notes Name: _____________

Example 2
For the following circuit, find:
(a) the current through resistor 2

(b) the voltage across resistor 2

9.2 The Power of Electricity

Power

• Power is the _________________________, the rate at which work is done.

• Power is measured as units of energy (joules) per second, ______________

________________________________ (W)

• Electrical power is ____________________________________________.

For example, a 25 W fluorescent bulb converts 25 joules per second of
electrical energy into other forms such as light and heat.

Calculating Power and Energy Consumption

• Power = Voltage x Current P = VI

Example: If a 6.0 V battery supplies a current of 2.0 A, what is the power output of the
battery?

P = VI
= (6.0 V)(2.0 A)
= 12 W
The power output of the battery is 12 W.

3
Science 9 Notes Name: _____________

Practice Problems
Try the following power problems. Show each step in your solution.
1. A flashlight bulb operates on 3.0 V and draws a current of 4.0 A. What is the power of
this bulb?
P = VI
= (__________)(__________)
= __________
The power of this bulb is __________.

2. A 60 W light bulb is connected to 120 V. What current passes through the light bulb?

Energy = Power x Time E = Pt

• Therefore, if you know the voltage a device is connected to, and how much
current flows in it, you can calculate the power of the device. Knowing how
long the device is used allows you to calculate how much energy it consumes.

Example: How much electrical energy is consumed by a 1200 W hair dryer if it is

used for 5.0 min?
5.0 min = 5 x 60 s = 300 s.
E = Pt
= (1200 W)(300 s)
=360 000 Ws
= 3.6 x 105 J
A 1200 W hair dryer consumes 3.6 x 105 J of electrical energy if it is used for 5.0
min.

4
Science 9 Notes Name: _____________

Practice Problems:
1. A 1600 W kettle is turned on for 3.0 min. How much electrical energy does
the kettle use in this time?

2. How much electrical energy is consumed by a 100 W light bulb left on for 4.0 h?

A Larger Unit for Energy

• A joule is a very __________ amount, so the energy supplied to the home is

usually calculated in much __________ units
• Instead of using watts - __________ are used
• Instead of using seconds - __________ are used
• BC Hydro keeps track of kilowatt•hours

1.0 joule = 1.0 watt x 1.0 second

1.0 kW•h = 1.0 kW x 1.0 h

5
Science 9 Notes Name: _____________

Paying Your Power Bill

• When the power company has determined how many

kilowatt•hours you have used, they then bill you by
multiplying how much you have used by the cost per
kW•h

• The power company keeps track of your energy usage by

reading your electric meter

Example: If your household used 1532 kW•h last month and the rate per kW•h
was 7 cents per hour then how much would your bill be?

Understanding EnerGuide Labels

6
PART A:VOLTAGE, CURRENT, AND RESISTANCE IN A CIRCUIT ARE
RELATED BY OHM'S LAW
_______________ is the property of any material that _______________
_______________and converts _______________ energy into ______
_______________of energy. For example: Light Bulb

The filament’s _______________ causes the electrons’ electrical

energy to be converted into ________ and _________ energy.

The wire that connects the battery to the light bulb has very ______
resistance, and therefore the electrons traveling through this wire
____________________________ electrical energy.

Graphing Activity: Comparing Current and Resistance

The table shown below lists the resistance of some common home
appliances. The last column shows the current that passes through each
appliance when connected to a 120 V source (standard household voltage).

Draw a graph of resistance versus current for these items.

Put resistance on the x-axis and current on the y-axis.

Analyze your graph.

How is current related to resistance? For example, when the resistance

increases, what happens to the current?

2
3
_______________is the __________________________________________
per unit of charge between one point in the circuit and another point in the circuit.

When you_______________ the voltage connected to the circuit, the ______________

will also _______________. In other words, voltage is __________________
___________________ to current.

Georg Ohm, a German physicist (Figure 8.17), studied the relationship

between voltage and current and realized that there was another factor
involved.

Imagine two different tubes filled with identical marbles tipped the
same amount…they _______________ have to have the same
current.

Figure 8.18 shows a tube with a large diameter and a tube with a
smaller diameter both held at the same angle.

The number of marbles leaving the larger tube is

_______________ than that of the smaller tube. Even though
both tubes have the same ____________________________
(_______________), they have _______________________
of marbles.

The smaller tube does not allow the marbles to flow as freely as the
larger tube.
In other words, the smaller tube has _____________________.

If a battery is connected to an electric circuit that has a ______

_______________, _____________________will flow.

If the same battery is connected to a

_______________resistance circuit, _______________
_______________ will flow.

4
OHM’S LAW CALCULATIONS

Georg Ohm discovered that when he _______________ the electrical potential difference
(_______________), the ____________________ for a given resistance in a conductor.

He developed the relationship now known as __________________, shown in the box below.

By rearranging the variables in Ohm's law, it is possible to calculate any of the variables
if the value of the other two are known.

V=

I=

R=

Example

Imagine that you are testing an electrical toy. You are going to plug it into your home
outlet, which provides an electrical potential difference of 120 V. The wires are small
and you do not want the current to go above 1.5 A. How high must the resistance of the
electrical toy be?

5
1. List the three symbols used in Ohm's law. Explain what each symbol represents
and give the units for each of the variables.

2. A television that is plugged into a wall socket has an electrical potential difference
of 120 V. If a current of 1.25 A is flowing through the television, what is its
resistance (Ω)?

3. The filament of a flashlight bulb has a resistance of 40 Ω. If a 6.0 V battery is

used in the circuit, what is the current?

4. A circuit board has a resistance of 12 Ω and requires a current of 0.25 A. What

electrical potential difference is required to operate the circuit board?

5. The current through a load in a circuit is 1.5 A. If the potential difference across
the load is 12 V, what is the resistance of the load?

6. The resistance of a car headlight is 15 Ω. If there is a current of 0.80 A through

the headlight, what is the voltage across the headlight?

7. A 60 V potential difference is measured across a load that has a resistance of 15

Ω. What is the current through this load?

6
 reading about: Resistance & Ohms
law pg 10-11
Complete the following reading about resistance & ohms law Be sure to "Mark
the Text" and highlight KEY DEFINITIONS as you read along.

ALSO, answer the "Reading Check" questions in the side margin as you go! ●
✔
Before You Read
Do you think electrons can move through all conducting substances equally well? Give your
reasons why or why not on the lines below.

Create an Outline What is resistance?

Make an outline of the Electrical resistance is the property of a substance that slows
information in this section.
down the movement of electrons and converts electrical energy
Use the headings in the
reading as a starting point. into other forms of energy. For instance, the resistance of the
Include the bold terms and tungsten filament in a light bulb is more than 400 times greater
any other terms that you than the resistance of copper connecting wires. When current
think are important. moves through the high-resistance filament of the light bulb,
the filament converts much of the energy carried by the current
into light and heat. When the same current moves through the
copper wire, the amount of energy converted into heat is much
smaller.
The unit used for measuring resistance is the ohm (Ω). An
ohmmeter can be used to measure resistance.

How is resistance related to voltage and current?

Voltage, current, and resistance are closely related.
◆ Current is the movement of electrons (charges) through a
conductor.
◆ Voltage is what makes the electrons move through the
conductor.
◆ Resistance works against and slows down the motion of the
electrons.
Good conductors have low resistance, which means that
electrons flow through them easily. Poor conductors have high
resistance, which means electrons are slowed down.

8
How does Ohm’s law relate voltage, current, and
resistance?
Ohm’s law is a mathematical equation that shows how voltage,
current, and resistance are related:
voltage V
resistance = _______ __
current or R = I ,
where R stands for resistance, V stands for voltage, and I stands

●
for current.
✔ Reading Check
You can rewrite this equation to solve for any of the variables
1. State Ohm’s law in words.
in it. Thus:
voltage = current × resistance (V = IR); and
voltage V) ✔
current = _________ (I = __
resistance R ●

What is a resistor?
A resistor is a component in a circuit that has a specific
resistance. Resistors are used to control current or voltage to
suit the needs of other electric devices in the circuit. The circuit
symbol for a resistor looks like this: ●
✔
●
✔ Reading Check
2. What is a resistor?

1. measure voltage,

2. measure current,

3. calculate resistance

Using Ohm’s law, you can calculate resistance from current and voltage
measurements.

9
 Assignment #1: Practice Worksheets pages 11-14
Complete this assignment in the space provided below.

Voltage, current, and resistance

Follow the directions below to demonstrate what you know about voltage, current, and
resistance.
1. Define the following terms.
(a) current

(b) voltage

(c) resistance

(d) Ohm’s law

(e) resistor

2. Complete the following table. The table has been partially completed to help you.

Current Voltage Resistance

Symbol I

Unit ohm (Ω)

Meter used for

measurement

Formula

10
Calculations with Ohm’s law
Use Ohm’s law to complete the following table. Write the formula you will use and
substitute the known values into the formula. Show all your work and include the
correct unit with your answer. The first question has been done to help guide you.
Question Show your work Answer
1. A current through a resistor in a circuit is 1.5 A. R=V÷I 4Ω
If the potential difference across the resistor is 6 = 6 V ÷ 1.5 A
V, what is the resistance of the resistor? =4Ω

2. A toaster is plugged into a 120 V outlet. What is

the resistance of the toaster if the current in the
toaster is 10 A?

3. A light bulb with a resistance of 30 Ω is

connected to a battery. If the current in the light
bulb is 0.2 A, what is the voltage of the battery?

4. What is the current in a flashlight bulb with a

resistance of 24 Ω if the voltage provided by the
flashlight battery is 3 V?

5. An electric iron plugged into a wall socket has

a resistance of 20 Ω. If the current in the iron
is 6 A, what is the voltage provided by the wall
socket?

11
Relationship between current, voltage, and
resistance
Use the graph below to answer the questions that follow.
Voltage vs. Current
5

3
Voltage (V)

0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
Current (A)

1. (a) What happens to the voltage as the current increases?

(b) What does this suggest about the relationship between voltage and current?

2. According to the graph, what happens to the voltage when the current is doubled?

12
PART B: LOADS CAN BE CONNECTED IN SERIES OR PARALLEL

All of the circuits that you have studied so far have a _______________. In such a
circuit, current flows along _____________________. Most circuits, however, are
much more complex, and current may flow along _______________________pathway.

When current can flow along just one path in a circuit, the circuit is called a __________
________________. The circuit components are connected in series.

The diagram (right) shows three light bulbs

connected in _______________.
Trace the path of the current. Notice how
there is only _______________in
which it can flow through the battery,
switch, and loads.

If the ___________________________,
all electrons are blocked and the __________
_____________.

In this series circuit, there is just_________path

through which the current can flow.
The ______________________________in
_____________________ of the circuit
Voltage in a Series Circuit
If a ____________________ is like a waterslide, the
people on the waterslide represent the electrons that flow
through the circuit.
A person has ______________________________
at the top of the stairs than at the bottom.
For Example:
If the staircase has 12 steps. A person who slides from the top of the slide to the bottom
will “lose” all 12 steps before returning to the bottom of the stairs.

17
In an electric circuit, the charge that leaves a 12 V battery “__________” ___________
before it returns to the battery.
These losses occur on __________ such as light bulbs or resistors, which ____________
the _______________ energy into ___________________________ of energy.

Each load in the _______________circuit

_______________ a portion of the _______
_______________ supplied to the electrons by
the battery (Figure 9.5).
The ___________of the voltages lost on the loads
_______________the _______________
supplied by the _______________.

Current in a Series Circuit

In an electric circuit, the ___________________________ each other with the
same _____________________________________________.
Therefore, most of the ______________________________ in a circuit will
remain fairly evenly spaced apart. Since there is only _______________ for the
electrons to travel in the series circuit, the _______________ in each part of a series
circuit is _______________ (Figure 9.6).

For Example: This is similar to a garden hose filled with water. The
amount of water entering the garden hose must be the same as the
amount of water leaving the same hose. All along the hose, therefore,
the “current” of water is the same.

18
Resistors in Series
Imagine if a waterslide contained a section where the water escaped and you had to slide
across dry plastic. This section would have ______________________ than the other
parts of the slide, and therefore you would slow down.
If all the people on this slide behaved like _______________ and kept almost equal
spacing, then everyone would ____________________ due to this ______________.
Suppose there were another dry patch farther down the slide. This resistance would slow
down the person sliding across it _______________ and cause everyone to slow down
_______________ The total number of people reaching the bottom per minute would be
less. The same result occurs in an electric circuit when ________________________.

Resistors placed in _______________________

_______________ of the circuit.
When you place resistors in series, you increase the total
resistance, and therefore the _______________
_______________ throughout the circuit
_______________.

1. What do we call a circuit that has only one path?

2. What happens to the current in a series circuit when a switch is opened?

3. How does the total voltage lost on all loads compare to the total voltage supplied by the
battery?

4. Why is the current at any two locations in a series circuit always the same?

5. If a resistor is added in series to an existing resistor, what happens to the total

resistance?

19
Multiple Pathways
When a circuit has at least _______________ point
where the _______________ into _____________
_______________ it is a _______________circuit.

The components in these pathways are connected in parallel.

Figure 3.25 shows a circuit that has all of the same
components as the previous circuit we examined. However,
the bulbs are connected in _______________.

Trace the path of the current. Notice where it branches and

the current splits into _______________pathways.

In this ________________________
the current splits into three paths.

In each path, the current is _______________

A ________________________ that has several different paths is called a ________

_____________. Electrons leaving the battery have _______________ possible ways
of returning to the battery in this example.

An electron can travel through bulb 1, bulb 2, or bulb 3 before returning to the battery.

20
 A waterslide with _______________ slide gives the rider
different experiences than the single pathway waterslide .
If someone decides to stop on one of the slides, the _________
_________________________________________.
Even though there are different pathways down, everyone climbs
the same stairs and everyone ends up in the same pool at the
bottom of the slides.
Voltage in a Parallel Circuit
Suppose people climbed 50 stairs to reach the top of the waterslide. Regardless of which of the
three slides the people travel down, they will end up in the _______________________.
They will “___________” all the ___________________________they gained when
they climbed the stairs by the time they reach the bottom.
In an ______________________________, the battery supplies electric potential
energy to the electrons through a ___________________________________.
If the _______________ has a potential difference of 12 V, then the _______________
_____________ these _____ of potential difference by the time they return to the battery.
As you can see in Figure 9.9, the _______________ on each of the light bulbs in
_______________ is the same.
_______________ that are in parallel have the __________________________.

Current in a Parallel Circuit

Remember…In a ___________ circuit, the _______________________________
throughout the circuit. This is because there is only _______________ for the electrons to
travel.
In a _______________ circuit, the current branches into _______________ pathways
that eventually rejoin. A ________________________________ travels on each path.
A pathway with ______________________________ will be able to have _______
______________ travel on it and therefore will have a _________________________
than a pathway with more resistance.
21
Figure 9.10 shows a battery connected to three different resistors connected in _______________.

The _______________ leaving the battery divides into three possible pathways.
The location where a circuit divides into multiple paths or where multiple paths combine is called a
______________________________.
____________________________________or _____________by parallel paths.
The _____________________________________________to travel different routes.
_______________ of different resistance that are connected ___________________
will have ______________________________.

The ______________________________ a junction point must ______________

_____________________________________________ the junction point.

Resistors in Parallel
Imagine that you are standing at the end of a long line in a
grocery store. There is only one checkout open, and all
customers must pass through the one checkout. This is like a
_______________ since there is only
_______________. The cashier in this situation
represents a _______________ since the cashier _____
____________the customers. Suppose a second checkout is
opened. Customers can now check out their groceries in either line. Even though the second
cashier is also a resistor, the customers do not have to wait as long.
The same is true for electric circuits (Figure 9.11). When you place a ________________
______________ with another resistor, you ____________________________.
Resistors placed in __________will ____________
___________________________ of the circuit.
When the total resistance of the circuit decreases, the
______________________leaving the battery must
therefore _______________.

22
1. What name is given to a circuit that contains more than one pathway?

2. Two loads are connected in parallel. Compare the voltage across each load.

3. Two loads are connected in parallel. Must the current through one load equal the
current through the other load?

4. What name is given to a location in a circuit where the circuit branches into more
pathways or where pathways rejoin?

5. How does current entering a junction point compare to current leaving that same
junction point?

6. If you add a resistor in parallel to an existing resistor, what happens to the total
resistance in the circuit?

23
 reading about: Series & Parallel
Circuits pg 25-26
Complete the following reading about series and parallel cirsuits. Be sure to
"Mark the Text" and highlight KEY DEFINITIONS as you read along.

ALSO, answer the "Reading Check" questions in the side margin as you go! ●
✔
Before You Read
A circuit is a complete pathway like an electric circuit or a school running track. What other
examples of circuits can you list?

◆
What is a series circuit?
✏ Mark the Text
A series circuit is an electric
Identify Concepts circuit that has only one
As you read, highlight each pathway for electric current to
question head in this section. take. You can think of a series
Then use a different colour to circuit as a set of parts that
series circuit
highlight the answers to the are connected end to end. The
questions. charges pass through each load
before they return to a battery or other energy source. All the
●
✔ Reading Check
1. What is a series circuit?
moving charges travel through each part of the circuit. ●✔

What is a parallel circuit?

A parallel circuit is an electric circuit that has two or more
pathways for electric current to take. Some of the moving
charges travel through one pathway of the circuit, and other
moving charges travel through other pathways of the circuit.
All the charges return to the source after moving through the
●
✔ Reading Check
2. What is a parallel circuit?
pathways. The place where pathways separate or join in a
parallel circuit is called a junction point. ●✔

parallel circuit

24
What happens to the current, voltage, and resistance in
series and parallel circuits?
The table below summarizes the effects that series circuits and
parallel circuits have on the current, the voltage, and the
resistance of the circuits.

Series circuit Parallel circuit

6.0 V = 6.0 A
1.0 A

= 1.0 A = 2.0 A = 3.0 A

1.0 A
12 V 12 V 12 V
12 V

1.0 A

2.0 V 4.0 V

Current Current
The current through the whole circuit is the The current through each pathway of the circuit adds up to the
same throughout and is equal to the total current total current supplied by the source.
supplied by the source.

Voltage Voltage
The voltages across each of the loads in the circuit The voltages across each of the loads in the circuit are equal to
add up to the voltage supplied by the source. each other and to the voltage supplied by the source.

Resistance Resistance
Resistors placed in series increase the total Resistors placed in parallel decrease the total resistance of the
resistance of the circuit. As a result, the total circuit. As a result, the total current through the circuit increases.
current throughout the circuit decreases.

25
 Assignment #2: Practice Worksheets pages 26-28
Complete this assignment in the space provided below.

Series or parallel ?
For each of the following statements, identify whether it applies to a series circuit or a
parallel circuit.
1. The current is the same throughout the circuit.

2. Adding a resistor will decrease the total resistance of the circuit.

3. The voltage across each resistor in the circuit is the same.

4. There is only one pathway for electrons to flow.

5. Adding a resistor will increase the total resistance of the circuit.

6. There is more than one pathway for current to flow.

7. As more cells are added to the circuit, the brightness of the light bulb increases.

8. There are junction points in the circuit.

9. If the current through one load in the circuit goes to 0 A, the current through all other
loads remains the same.

10. The sum of voltages across the loads equals the total voltage supplied by the battery.

11. The total current entering a junction point equals the sum of the current leaving the
junction point.

26
Is it in series or in parallel?
Match each description on the left with the correct circuit on the right.
Description Circuit
1. 3 resistors in series
2. 3 resistors in parallel A.

3. 2 light bulbs in series

4. 2 light bulbs in parallel
B.

C.

D.

E.

Draw circuit diagrams as directed below.

5. Draw a circuit diagram showing one resistor and one 6. Draw a circuit diagram showing one resistor and one
light bulb in series. light bulb in parallel.

27
Calculations with series circuits
Use the diagrams to answer the questions below.

30 V

V3 = 6.0 V
V0 = ? V0
Resistor 3 V3 I3 = 2.0 A
R3 = ?

Resistor 1 Resistor 2
V2 = 8 V
4.0 6.0 V1 = 4 V V1 Resistor 1 Resistor 2 V2
I2 = ?
I1 = 3.0 A I2 = ?
V1 = ? V2 = ?

1. (a) What is the total resistance in the circuit? 2. (a) What is the total voltage in the circuit?

(b) What is the amount of current flowing (b) What is the amount of current flowing through Resistor 2?
through Resistor 2?

(c) Ohm’s law is R = __V . Use Ohm’s law to determine the

(c) Using Ohm’s Law (V = IR), determine I
the voltage drop across Resistor 2. resistance of Resistor 3.

(d) What is the voltage drop across Resistor

1?

28
PART C: PARALLEL LOADS ARE PRACTICAL FOR CIRCUITS IN THE
HOME.

If one load in a _______________ circuit burns out, the circuit will be open, charges will stop
moving, and no loads in that circuit will work.

This makes __________________________________in homes, where many loads are needed.

Think of a kitchen. Each load must work independent of all others. Otherwise a burned out ceiling
lamp would cause a toaster, microwave and radio on the same circuit to stop working. Likewise, if you
turned off the radio, all other appliances would stop working as well.

In Figure 3.27, all devices are connected in _______________. Each can be controlled by its own
_______________ without shutting off the others. The pathways in the diagram represent
conductors, and the coloured lines represent current flowing to a specific device.

The arrow in part A shows that, when all appliances are on, a large amount of current is passing
through the conductor near the source. When large amounts of current flow through a wire, it can get
very hot and it becomes a safety hazard.

29
Multiple Circuits Within a Building
While parallel circuits are convenient in one room, imagine if all the electrical devices in an
entire home were connected to the same parallel circuit. The current flowing to each device
also would be flowing through the wire conductors connected to the source. This large amount
of current could make the wires _____________________, possibly causing a _______.

Because of this safety concern, many _______________ parallel circuits are installed in
buildings, as shown in Figure 3.28. Each colour represents a single __________________.
A very large electrical cable carries electrical energy form a power company to a building. This
large cable branches out and is connected to each of the parallel circuits inside a circuit panel.
The cables for all circuits leave this circuit panel and carry electrical energy throughout the
building.

1. Explain why it would be impractical to wire a home with a circuit in which all loads
were connected in series.

2. Explain why a parallel circuit, with too many electrical devices is not safe.

30
 Series and Parallel Circuits Lab
Part 1: Prediction Questions - Comparing Circuits

Consider the pictures of each of these circuits, then answer the questions below.
Answer the prediction questions before you build these circuits:

Series Circuit Parallel Circuit Complex Circuit

1) From the circuits above, predict which bulb (or bulbs) will be the brightest. Why
do you think that?

2) Current is the flow of charge (measured in coulombs/sec = amps) in a circuit.

Describe how you think current will flow in the different types of circuits above.

31
Part 2: Building Circuits

Open the circuit constructor at the following URL:

[Link]

or Google “ phet circuit construction kit”. Create the circuit shown in Figure 1.

Make the following modifications to the component properties by right-clicking on each

component:

• Set the resistance of each light bulb to 5 ohms

• Set the battery voltage to 10 volts

Figure 1

Check in:

What type of circuit is shown in Figure 1?

How many pathways are there for electrons to take in the circuit shown in Figure 1?

32
 1. What is the total resistance of these series-connected bulbs?

R=

2. Use Ohm’s law to calculate the circuit current (I):

Formula to calculate current I = _____________ where:

V= voltage in _______ = _____________

R=Resistance in _______ = _____________

I = Calculate current in amps

I=

I=

3. Use the Non-Contact Ammeter to measure the current the circuit. Record the
measured current.

I=

The bulbs in Figure 1 are connected in ____________________.

Now connect another bulb in series with the first two. Change the properties of this bulb
to have 5 ohms of resistance.

4. Calculate the circuit current for the new modified circuit and record this
calculated current.

I=

5. Use the Non-Contact Ammeter to measure the current in the new modified
circuit. Record the measured current.

I=

33
Now connect the bulbs in the configuration shown below. Make sure each bulb is set for
5 ohms of resistance and the battery is set for 10 volts.

6. What do you immediately notice about the bulbs and why?

Figure 2
The bulbs in Figure 2 are connected in _____________________________ . How
many pathways are there for electrons to take? __________________.

Figure 2
7. What is the total resistance of these _____________ - connected bulbs?

R=

34
 8. Calculate the currents for this circuit and record these calculated values.

I (point 1) =

I (point 2) =

I (point 3) =

I (point 4) =

I (point 5) =

I (point 6) =

9. Use the Non-Contact Ammeter to measure the currents in the circuit. Record the
measured currents.

I (point 1) =

I (point 2) =

I (point 3) =

I (point 4) =

I (point 5) =

I (point 6) =

If the calculated values of current don’t match the measured values of current read
about parallel circuits in your notes/assignments and recalculate the currents.

35
 10. As you add more bulbs (loads) in a series circuit what happens to the current in
the series circuit and why?

11. As you add more bulbs (loads) in a parallel circuit what happens to the current
in the series circuit and why?

12. Which one of these circuits, series or parallel, represents the type of electrical
connections found in your home?

Figure 3 Figure 2

Just as loads like the light bulbs can be connected in series (Figure 3) and parallel
(Figure 4) the power sources can also be connected in series and parallel.

13. What is the advantage of connecting power supplies in series?

36
 14. What is the advantage of connecting power supplies in parallel?

Extension:

15. Build a complex circuit using the online simulation. Diagram your circuit below
and include the voltage and resistance values and current values at a number of
points within your circuit.

16. Use the online simulation to explore. How can you cause a fire to occur in the
circuit? Based on what you find out what recommendations can you make for
electrical safety to ensure that this doesn’t happen within someone’s home?

37
 Assignment #3: Review Worksheets pages 39-41
Complete this assignment in the space provided below.

Ohm’s Law Review

V=IR V: Voltage (V) 4 Steps

I=V/R I: Current (A) 1. List your givens and
R=V/I R: Resistance (Ω) unknown (V, I and R)
2. Write down Ohm’s Law
3. Substitute in givens
4. Solve for unknown

1. Find the current through a circuit with a resistance of 24 Ω when 24 V is applied.

2. Find the resistance of a circuit that draws 0.06 A with 12 V applied.

3. Find the applied voltage of a circuit that draws 0.2 amperes through a 4800-ohm resistance.

4. Find the applied voltage of a telephone circuit that draws 0.017 A through a resistance of
15,000 Ω.

5. If a blender is plugged into a 110 V outlet that supplies 2.7 A of current, what is the
resistance of the of the blender?

6. A resistive load of 600-ohms is connected to a 24 V power supply. Find the current through
the resistor.

39
Solve for the unknown quantity.

7. 8.

9. 10.

11. 12.

40
 Series and Parallel Circuits Review

For each circuit, determine the voltage, current and resistance through each resistor and the
total voltage, current and resistance of the circuit.

1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

7. 8.

41
 Series Circuits Worksheets

1. In this circuit, three resistors receive the same amount of current (4 amps) from a single
source.

Calculate the amount of voltage “dropped” by each resistor.

2. Re-draw this circuit in the form of a schematic diagram:

3. Suppose I connect two resistors in series with one another, like this:

How much electrical resistance would you expect an ohmmeter to indicate if it were connected
across the combination of these two series-connected resistors?
4. What would happen if three 6-volt light bulbs were connected as shown to a 6-volt
battery? How would their brightness compare to just having a single 6-volt light bulb
connected to a 6-volt battery?

5. Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are rugged and highly efficient sources of light. They are
far more rugged and efficient than incandescent lamps, and they also have the ability to
switch on and off much faster because there is no filament inside needing to heat or cool:

LEDs are low voltage devices, typically rated in the range of 1.5 to 2 volts DC maximum.
Single diodes generally draw low currents as well, about 20 milliamps each. The problem
is, how do you operate an LED from a typical electronic power source, which may output
24 volts DC or more?

6. Calculate the necessary series “dropping” resistor value to operate a 1.8 volt, 20 mA LED
from a 34 volt DC power source.
7. Complete the table of values for this circuit:

8. Complete the table of values for this circuit:

 Parallel Circuits

1. In this circuit, three resistors receive the same amount of voltage (24 volts) from a single

source. Calculate the amount of current “drawn” by each resistor.

2. What will happen to the brightness of the light bulb if the switch in this circuit is suddenly
closed?

3. Determine the amount of voltage impressed across each resistor in this circuit:

4. According to Ohm’s Law, how much current goes through each of the two resistors in this
circuit?

Draw the paths of all currents in this circuit.

5. Qualitatively compare the voltage and current for each of the three light bulbs in this circuit
(assume the three light bulbs are absolutely identical):

6. Calculate the total amount of current that the battery must supply to this parallel circuit:

Calculate total resistance.

7. In a series circuit, resistance increases and conductance decreases with the addition of
more resistors:

Describe what happens to total resistance and total conductance with the addition
of parallel resistors:
8. Suppose I connect two resistors in parallel with one another, like this:

How much electrical resistance would you expect an ohmmeter to indicate if it were connected
across the combination of these two parallel-connected resistors?

9. Complete the table of values for this circuit:

10. Complete the table of values for this circuit:

11. What will happen in this circuit as the switches are sequentially turned on, starting with
switch number 1 and ending with switch number 3?

Describe how the successive closure of these three switches will impact:
• The voltage drop across each resistor
• The current through each resistor
• The total amount of current drawn from the battery
• The total amount of circuit resistance “seen” by the battery
 Series and Parallel Circuit Questions
1)

2)
3)

4)
5)

6)

7)
8)

9)

10)
11)

12)

13)

14)
15)
 4

QUESTION TWO: THE MECHANIC’S LIGHT ASSESSOR’S

USE ONLY

A car mechanic uses a rechargeable torch, which contains five identical 12 V light bulbs. The bulbs
are connected to a 12-volt battery, as shown in the diagram below.

0.30 A

12 V

(a) (i) State the name that describes the arrangement of bulbs in the circuit shown above.

(ii) Explain why bulbs connected in this way will be bright.

(b) The current through each bulb is 0.30 A.

By calculating the current through the battery, calculate the total resistance of the circuit.

Resistance

(c) (i) The voltage across each bulb is 12 V and the current through each is 0.30 A.

Calculate the total power output of the torch.

Power output

Physics 90937, 2012

 5

(ii) One of the light bulbs in the torch ‘blows’ and stops working. ASSESSOR’S
USE ONLY

Explain what effect this would have on the total brightness of the torch.

(d) Explain how the brightness of the bulbs would change if the bulbs were connected to the
battery, as shown below.

12 V

Physics 90937, 2012