Current Electricity Labs-Overview. Measuring Current-10A Problem: Where should the switch be placed in a circuit? How does the current at one point in.

Current Electricity

Labs-Overview

Measuring Current-10A

Problem: Where should the switch be placed in a circuit? How does the current at one point in the circuit compare to the current at other points in the circuit?

Observations

Post Lab Questions

1. How does the location of the switch (near the negative terminal or the positive terminal of the battery) affect the current in the circuit?

Post Lab Questions

1. How does the location of the switch (near the negative terminal or the positive terminal of the battery) affect the current in the circuit?

NO AFFECT

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2. How does the current between the negative terminal of the battery and the light bulb compare to the current between the light bulb and the positive terminal of the battery?

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2. How does the current between the negative terminal of the battery and the light bulb compare to the current between the light bulb and the positive terminal of the battery?

CURRENT IS THE SAME

Since this is a series circuit, the location of the ammeter does not matter. The current is the same throughout the circuit.

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3. a. Which light bulb glows more brightly? The 6 V or

the 1.5 V?

b. Which light bulb permits more current to flow?

c. Which light bulb has the smaller diameter filament?

Post Lab Questions

3. a. Which light bulb glows more brightly? The 6 V or

the 1.5 V?

b. Which light bulb permits more current to flow?

c. Which light bulb has the smaller diameter filament?

a. The 1.5 V bulb- filament thicker more electrons can flowb. The 1.5 V bulb- because filament thickerc. The 6 V bulb

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4 Write a statement that summarizes whether it matters where the switch is located in a simple circuit.

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4 Write a statement that summarizes whether it matters where the switch is located in a simple circuit.

It Does Not Matter

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5. How does the current in any one location of the circuit compare to the current at other places in the circuit? Write a sentence that describes the current throughout the circuit.

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5. How does the current in any one location of the circuit compare to the current at other places in the circuit? Write a sentence that describes the current throughout the circuit.

The current is the same at all points of the circuit.

Think of it like a river and the current is the flow of water. The flow of water will be the same (like in series). If the

water path, branches off the flow of water may change (like in parallel)

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6. What happened to the current in the circuit, when you unscrewed the bulb? Write an explanation that accounts for these results.

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6. What happened to the current in the circuit, when you unscrewed the bulb? Write an explanation that accounts for these results.

When the bulb is unscrewed, the current ceased flowing. Unscrewing the bulb interrupts the circuit, which is the same as opening the switch.

Post Lab Questions

a. Which light bulb decreases the current the most?

b. Which light bulb has the smallest diameter filament?

c. Which light bulb places the largest load on the circuit?

d. Write an explanation for the relationship between current and brightness of the bulb.

Post Lab Questions

• Which light bulb decreases the current the most? The 6 V (smaller filament= smaller path)

Think of this like driving on a highway with 1 lane or with 2 lanes. The highway with more lanes allows more cars to pass at a given time.

• Which light bulb has the smallest diameter filament?

The 6 V• Which light bulb places the largest load on the circuit?

The 6 V

the larger the load, the less current will flow• Write an explanation for the relationship between current

and brightness of the bulb. The larger the current the bulb permits to pass the more

brightly the bulb glows.

Energy Around a Simple Circuit

Observations

Analyze-1

How does the potential difference across the battery compare to the potential difference across the 6 V bulb?

Analyze -1

How does the potential difference across the battery compare to the potential difference across the 6 V bulb?

The potential differences are the same

Analyze-2

How does the potential difference across the batter compare to the potential difference across the 1.5 V bulb?

Analyze-2

How does the potential difference across the batter compare to the potential difference across the 1.5 V bulb?

The potential differences are the same

Analyze-3 &4

How does the potential difference across the 6 V bulb compare to the potential difference across the 1.5 V bulb?

Analyze-3&4

How does the potential difference across the 6 V bulb compare to the potential difference across the 1.5 V bulb?

The potential differences are the same

Analyze-5

What happens to the potential difference across a bulb when you unscrew the bulb?

Analyze-5

What happens to the potential difference across a bulb when you unscrew the bulb?

Potential difference is 0. When bulb unscrewed do not have complete circuit.

Conclude and Apply-6

How does the energy that the battery gives to each coulomb of charge compare to the energy that this charge gives to the load? Explain how you observations led you to your answer.

Conclude and Apply-6

How does the energy that the battery gives to each coulomb of charge compare to the energy that this charge gives to the load? Explain how you observations led you to your answer.

Each coulomb of charge that leaves the battery gives essentially all the energy acquired from the battery to the load.A very small amount of the energy is given up to the conducting wires, but this amount is so small over the distances, that we can ignore it. By examining the readings of the voltmeter when it is applied across the batter/bulb, it can be confirmed the essentially all the energy of the charge is transferred to the load.

Conclude and Apply-7

Compare the bulbs 1.5 V and 6 V

Conclude and Apply-7

Compare the bulbs 1.5 V and 6 V

The 1.5 V bulb is rated at a maximum of 1.5 V (or joules per coulomb). If it receives more than this the filament is not capable of dissipating that much energy and it breaks. The 6 V bulb is capable of withstanding more energetic charge before it fails, it can operate up to 6 V.

Conclude and Apply-8

If no current flows through the load, how much energy does the load receive?

Conclude and Apply-8

If no current flows through the load, how much energy does the load receive?

The load receives no energy. Since the moving charge is the vehicle for the delivery of the energy, if the charge is not moving, then no energy can be delivered to the load.