Series and Parallel Circuits

Lab Brief #4

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.

What you'll learn

In series the same current passes through every component and potential differences add. In parallel each branch has the full supply potential difference and the branch currents add. That is why household lighting is wired in parallel — one failed lamp leaves the rest lit.

Key words

series circuit
A single loop in which the same current passes through every component.
parallel circuit
A circuit with branches, each receiving the full supply potential difference.

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: what happens if you double the force?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

low-voltage supply
two lamps and holders
ammeter
voltmeter
leads

Get ready

⚠️ Safety first

Low-voltage supply only.
Switch off before unscrewing a lamp — the holder can be hot.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Think about what you just learned: say what "series circuit" and "parallel circuit" mean in your own words before you start.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Build two lamps in series and measure current at three points and voltage across each lamp. Rebuild in parallel and repeat. Then unscrew one lamp in each arrangement and record what happens to the other.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Question 1 of 2

In a parallel circuit, the potential difference across each branch is:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 2

Household lighting uses parallel wiring so that:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🎢 You feel weightless on a roller coaster because you and the seat are falling at the same speed.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 2 right.

Next: Electrical Power and Energy Cost All lessons

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✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”

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