Name: _______________________ Score: _______

Grade 12 _____________________ Date: _________

Virtual Laboratory Activity

Series and Parallel Resistors in Direct Circuits

Objectives:
1. To analyze mathematical relationships between quantities for
a. series circuits.
b. Parallel circuits.
2. To analyze parallel and series circuits.

Procedure:
I. DC Circuit Builder – Series Circuit
1. Using your computer, tablet or phone navigate to: http://goo.gl/M4Ewmh. Tap or click the link to open
the DC Circuit Builder.
Using the Interactive: The DC Circuit Builder Interactive is shown in the iFrame below. There is a small hot spot in the
top-left corner. Clicking/tapping the hot spot opens the Interactive in full-screen mode. Use the Escape key
on a keyboard (or comparable method) to exit from full-screen mode.There is a second hot-spot in the lower
right corner of the iFrame. Dragging this hot-spot allows you to change the size of iFrame to whatever
dimensions you prefer.

2. Once opened, select the pencil icon and use the tools (at the bottom of the screen) to build a circuit.
Simply select a bulb, resistor, wire or ammeter (the rectangular box) and tap or click in the workspace
where you wish it to be located. You’ll get the hang of it quite quickly. Note that the electric potential
values are listed on the diagram at the corner of every square on the grid. Current values are listed on the
ammeters. To change a battery voltage or a resistor value, select the second icon at the bottom of the
screen; a magnifying glass appears above the circuit element. Adjust the voltage or the resistance using
the up/down arrows next to the digital meter.

Build, Measure, Analyze:

Build the circuit shown with three resistors, four ammeters and a battery.
Determine the values of current (amps) and electric pressure (volts) at the indicated locations.
Once the data is completed in the diagram, screenshot and paste the picture on the space below.

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Data/Result
1. For resistors 1, 2, and 3 and for the battery (B), calculate the electric potential difference and fill in
the table completely.

1. How does the current in each resistor (I1, I2, I3) compare to one another and to the current in the
battery (IB)?

2. a. How does the electric potential difference across the battery (∆VB) compare to the total electric
potential differences of the three resistors (∆V1 + ∆V2 + ∆V3)?

b. Write the above relationship as an equation:

4. a. Calculate the ratio of electric potential difference to current for the battery.
∆VB/IB = ____________________

b. How does this ratio compare to the resistance values of the resistor?

c. Write an equation relating the ∆VB/IB ratio to R1, R2, and R3 values.

II. DC Circuit Builder – Parallel Circuit

1. Using your computer, tablet or phone and navigate to http://goo.gl/M4Ewmh.
Tap or click the link to open the DC Circuit Builder.
2. Once opened, select the pencil icon and use the tools (at the bottom of the screen) to build a
circuit. Simply select a bulb, resistor, wire or ammeter (the rectangular box) and tap or click in the
workspace where you wish it to be located. You will get the hang of it quite quickly.
3. Note that the electric potential values are listed on the diagram at the corner of every square on
the grid. Current values are listed on the ammeters. To change a battery voltage or a resistor
value, select the second icon at the bottom of the screen; a magnifying glass appears above the
circuit element. Adjust the voltage or the resistance using the up/down arrows next to the digital
meter.

Build, Measure, Analyze:

Build the circuit shown with three resistors, four ammeters and a battery. Determine the
values of current (amps) and electric pressure (volts) at the indicated locations.
Once the data is completed in the diagram, screenshot and paste the picture on the space
below.

2
Data/Result

1. For resistors 1, 2, and 3 and for the battery (B), calculate the electric potential difference and fill in
the table completely.

2. How does the electric potential difference across each resistor (∆V1, ∆V2, ∆V3) compare to one another
and to the electric potential difference across the battery (∆VB)?

3. a. How does the current in the battery (IB) compare to the total current in the three resistors (I1 + I2 + I3)?

4. Write the above relationship as an equation:

5. a. Calculate the ratio of electric potential difference to current for the battery.
∆VB/IB = ____________________

b. How does this ratio compare to the resistance values of the resistor?

c. Write an equation relating the ∆VB/IB ratio to R1, R2, and R3 values.

III. Circuit Builder

1. Using your computer, tablet or phone and navigate to: http://goo.gl/M4Ewmh
2. Use the provided link to open the Circuit Builder simulator. Once opened, select the pencil icon and use
the tools (at the bottom of the screen) to build a circuit. Simply select a bulb, resistor, wire or ammeter
(the rectangular box) and tap or click in the workspace where you wish it to be located. You will get the
hang of it quite quickly. Electric potential values are listed in the workspace at the corner of every
square on the grid. Current values are listed on the ammeters.
3. Once the data is completed in the diagram, screenshot and paste the picture on the space below.

Build, Measure, Analyze:

1. Use colored markers (ROYGB) to color code the wires on the diagram above. Use Red for the highest
potential and Blue for the lowest potential.
2. How does the current in each individual light bulb compare to each other?

3. Calculate the difference in electric pressure (∆V) across each light bulb.

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 Bulb 1: ∆V = ______ Volts Bulb 2: ∆V = ______ Volts Bulb 3: ∆V = ______ Volts

4. How do the ∆V values across each individual light bulb compare to each other?

5. a. How do the ∆V values across each individual bulb compare to the voltage of the battery?
b. Write an equation for this.

Build, Measure, Analyze:

1. Observe all the current values in the circuit. Describe a rule that could be used to relate the current
values at a “junction” (location where a path divides into two paths or a location where two paths come
together to form one path).

2. Use colored markers (ROYGB) to color code the wires in the circuit above.

3. Use the program to compare voltage values at the various locations in the circuit.
a. How many different values are there?

b. What are these values?

4. Once the data is completed in the diagram, screenshot and paste the picture on the space below.

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