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CIRCUIT CONFIG LAB

The lab experiment aimed to investigate how current and voltage vary in series and parallel circuits using resistors. Results showed that voltage remains constant in parallel circuits while current varies, whereas in series circuits, current is constant and voltage varies. The findings align with Ohm's Law, demonstrating the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance.

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4 views

CIRCUIT CONFIG LAB

The lab experiment aimed to investigate how current and voltage vary in series and parallel circuits using resistors. Results showed that voltage remains constant in parallel circuits while current varies, whereas in series circuits, current is constant and voltage varies. The findings align with Ohm's Law, demonstrating the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance.

Uploaded by

lilstorm262000
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Physics Lab #9

Name: Darius Billey

Class: 11D

Date: 20/2/2025

Title: Current and Voltage in Series and Parallel Circuits

Aim: To study how current and voltage vary across resistors placed in series and in parallel.

Materials/Apparatus:

 Wires

 Resistors

 Switch

 Variable power supply

 Voltmeter

 Ammeter
Diagram:
Variables:

Independent: Type of Circuit configuration

Dependent: Current and Voltage

Controlled: Supplied voltage and current, resistance value of resistors

Method:

Part 1:

1. A series circuit with 3 resistors was setup in series with the variable power supply.

2. The voltmeters were connected in parallel with each resistor and one voltmeter was

connected in parallel with the power supply.

3. The voltage of the power supply was set to 2 volts.

4. The voltage across each resistor as well as that across the power supply was recorded and

measured.

5. Steps 3 and 4 were repeated for the remaining voltages.

Part 2:

1. A parallel circuit was setup with 3 resistors in parallel with the variable power supply.

2. Ammeters were connected in series with each resistor and one ammeter was connected in

series with the power supply.

3. The voltage of the power supply was set to 2 volts.


4. The current flowing through each resistor as well as that flowing through the power

supply was measured and recorded.

5. Steps 3 and 4 were repeated for the remaining voltages.

Results:

TABLE 1 SHOWING THE SUPPLIED VOLTAGE, THE VOLTAGE ACROSS THE

BATTERY, EACH RESISTOR AND THE TOTAL VOLTAGE ACROSS ALL THREE

RESISTORS.

Voltage of Voltage Voltage Voltage Voltage Total voltage

power across across across across across the 3

supply/V battery/V resistor 1/V resistor 2/V resistor 3/V resistors/V

2.0 2.0 0.67 0.67 0.67 60

TABLE 2 SHOWING THE SUPPLIED VOLTAGE , THE CURRENT AT THE

BATTERY, EACH RESISTOR AND THE TOTAL ACROSS ALL THREE RESISTORS.

Voltage of Current Current Current Current Total current

power through through through through flowing through

supply/V battery/A resistor 1/A resistor 2/A resistor 3/A the 3 resistors/A

2.0 0.60 0.20 0.20 0.20 30


Data Analysis:

1. A series circuit has its components all in the same series or line with no branches.

2. A parallel circuit on the other hand has its components in different branches/loops.

3. A series-parallel circuit has one set of its components aligned in a series and the others

are parallel to one another.

4. In a series circuit, since current only has one path to flow through, it remains constant

whilst, since current requires a potential difference (voltage) to pass through a resistance,

they must all share the voltage, known as voltage drops with the value varying on the

resistance the current needs to pass through, thus, it is not constant.

5. In a parallel circuit, since current has multiple paths to flow, it is not constant with the

amount flowing through each branch depending on the amount of resistance experienced.

Voltage on the other hand, since each resistor acts in its separate circuit, thus, not having

to share voltage as they all “see” the total voltage meaning it remains constant.

Discussion:

Ohm’s principal discovery was that the amount of electric current through a metal conductor in a

circuit is directly proportional to the voltage impressed across it, for any given temperature. Ohm

expressed his discovery in the form of a simple equation, describing how voltage, current, and

resistance interrelate:

V =IR

Sources of Error:

1. The ammeter and voltmeter may have been improperly calibrated.


Sources of Limitation:

1. The apparatus utilized in this experiment was only accurate to one decimal place.

Sources of Precaution:

1. Equipment used was ensured to be non-faulty.

Conclusion:

Voltage and current behave inversely between series and parallel circuits with voltage being

constant in parallel circuits but not in series and current being constant in series circuits and

varying in parallel circuits.

Bibliography:

Series and parallel circuits - Series and parallel circuits - National 4 Physics Revision - BBC

Bitesize. (2023, March 31). BBC Bitesize.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z437hyc/revision/1

Flinn, C. (n.d.). Series circuits. Pressbooks.

https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/basicelectricity/chapter/fuses-and-circuit-breakers/

Flinn, C. (n.d.-a). Parallel circuits. Pressbooks.

https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/basicelectricity/chapter/ground/

Ohm’s Law - How Voltage, Current, and Resistance Relate. (n.d.). allaboutcircuits.com.

Retrieved February 21, 2025, from https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/direct-

current/chpt-2/voltage-current-resistance-relate/

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