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Name: Date: Period:
Properties of Series and Parallel Circuits:
Using a web browser, open the following URL: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/circuit-construction-kit-dc.
Follow the directions below:
1. Open the simulation and click on “Lab”
2. Place a battery and complete the circuit with the wire. What happens?
3. In order to prevent a fire, we have to place a resistor and slow the current down.
Disconnect the wires and place a resistor in a circuit, and then reconnect the wires.
4. What charges move through the circuit, Electrons or Protons?
5. Click on the resistor and increase the resistance of the resistor. What happens to the
speed of the charges?
In physics and engineering, we draw our circuits using various symbols and outline them in what
we call schematic diagrams. In this lab, you will be using schematic diagrams to construct a
circuit. So, let’s find out what some of these
symbols mean:
A Light bulb is a device that acts like a
resistor and converts electrical energy to heat
to create light
A Battery supplies energy to push the
electrons through a circuit
A Resistor slows down the current.
A Switch opens and closes a path where charges can flow.
A. Constructing a simple circuit with a switch
1. Do the electrons move while the switch is open?
2. What happens when you close the switch
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B. Switch and Light bulb
Add a light bulb to your circuit as shown.
1. What happens to the bulb when the switch is closed?
2. What happens to the bulb when the switch is opened?
C. Two Light Bulbs in Series
Add an additional light bulb in series with the other. Close the switch.
1. What happens to the brightness of each bulb when the other bulb
was added? Did it increase, decrease, or stay the same.
2. What happened to the speed of the charges? Did the speed
increase, decreases, or stay the same?
3. Disconnect one of the light bulbs, what happens to the charges in
the circuit? Do they move faster, stop, or is there no change?
4. What happens to the light bulbs?
D. Light bulbs in parallel:
Add two light bulbs in parallel as shown:
1. Compare the brightness of both bulbs? Are any
of the bulbs brighter or are they the same
brightness?
2. Use the voltmeter and measure the voltage
across both light bulbs?
Light bulb 1: ________ V
Light bulb 2 :________ V
3. What is the current in the circuit? _________ A
E. Adding a Light bulb in Parallel
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Add a 3rd light bulb in parallel as shown
1. Compare the brightness of each bulb?
2. What is the voltage across each bulb?
Bulb 1: ________ V
Blub 2: ________ V
Bulb 3: ________ V
What is the current of the circuit? _____ A
3. What happens when you disconnect one of the bulbs?
a. Do all the bulbs turn off?
b. Measure the voltage of the two bulbs? Did the voltage of the bulbs change?
c. What happened to the current of the circuit? Did it change?
Post Lab Questions:
Based on your observations from the lab, answer the following questions?
1. What happens to the current when you add more light bulbs in parallel? Does it
increase, decrease, or stay the same?
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2. What happens to the voltage when you add more light bulbs in parallel? Does it
increase, decrease, or stay the same?
3. When a lightbulb in string lights (such as the kind you hang on a Christmas tree) goes
out, all the lightbulbs also go out. Is the circuit wired in series or parallel. Explain based
on your observations in the lab.
4. When a headlight goes on on your car, the other stays on. Is the circuit wired in series or
parallel. Explain based on your observations in the lab
