Grade 8 Term 2 Physics Practical

Investigation of series and parallel circuit

Theory:

In a series circuit, the components are connected one after another in a continuous loop. The
current is the same at every point in the circuit. An ammeter is connected in series with the
component to measure the current I through that component.

In a parallel circuit, there is more than one path for the current to flow. Components are
connected side by side or in parallel. A voltmeter is connected in parallel with the component to
measure the potential difference V across that component. When the current in a parallel circuits
reaches a junction it splits to travel through both paths and then recombines before returning to
the power supply.

Objective: Investigation of series and parallel circuits

Materials required:

1. Two identical lamps and holders

2. Battery eliminator

3. Connecting wires

4. Ammeter

5. Voltmeter

6. Switches

7. Tester

Procedure:

Series circuit:

1. Connect a series circuit as shown in figure 1. Switch on. Observe the brightness of the lamps
and record your observation.

2. Switch off the circuit and insert an ammeter at point X.

3. Switch on and take a reading from the ammeter.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, placing the ammeter at point Y and Z in turn.

5. Switch of the circuit. Remove the ammeter and insert a voltmeter at point 1 as shown in
figure2.

6. Switch on and take a reading from the voltmeter.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 by placing the voltmeter at point 2 and point 3 in turn.
8. Switch off the circuit and unscrew one of the lamps.

9. Switch on and observe what happens to the other lamp. Record your observation.

Figure 1 Figure 2

Observation:

Initial brightness Current (A) Potential What happens when one

of lamps difference (V) lamp is removed?
X 1
Y 2
Z 3

Describe the brightness of the lamps in the series circuit.

Parallel circuit:

1. Connect a parallel circuit as shown in figure 3. Switch on. Observe the brightness of the
lamps and record your observation.
2. Compare the brightness of the lamps with those in the series circuit.
3. Switch off the circuit and insert an ammeter at point X.
4. Switch on and take a reading from the ammeter.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, placing the ammeter at point Y and Z in turn.
6. Switch of the circuit. Remove the ammeter and insert a voltmeter at point 1 as shown in
figure 4.
7. Switch on and take a reading from the voltmeter.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 by placing the voltmeter at point 2 and point 3 in turn.
9. Switch off the circuit and unscrew one of the Lamps.
10. Switch on and observe what happens to the other lamp. Record your observation.
 Figure 3 Figure 4

Observation:

Initial brightness Current (A) Potential What happens when one

of lamps difference (V) lamp is removed?
X 1
Y 2
Z 3

Describe the brightness of the lamps in the parallel circuit, compared with the brightness of the
lamps in the series circuit.

Conclusion:
 Determination of ohmic value of a resistor

Composition resistors are color coded to indicate resistance values or ratings. The color code
consists of various color bands that indicate the resistance values of resistors in ohms as well
as the tolerance rating. The Resistor Rating Color Code Table below is used to identify the
resistance rating of resistors.

Color 1st Band 2nd Band 3rd Band 4th Band

Black 0 0 1 1
Brown 1 1 10
Red 2 2 100
Orang 3 3 1,000
e
Yellow 4 4 10,000
Green 5 5 100,000
Blue 6 6 1,000,000
Violet 7 7 10,000,000
Gray 8 8 100,000,000
White 9 9 1,000,000,000
Gold 0.1 5%
Silver 0.01 10%
None 20%

Resistor Rating Color Code Table

Composition resistors generally have four color bands. The color code is read as follows:

 First, look up the number values of the first two bands on the table and combine thetwo
numbers.

 Then multiply this two digit number by the value of the 3rd band, the multiplier band.

 The resulting number is the resistance value of the resistor in ohms.

 The fourth band is the tolerance band. If the 4th band is gold, the resistor is guaranteed to
be within 5% of the rated value. If the 4th band is silver, it is guaranteedto be within 10%. If
there is no 4th band, the resistor is guaranteed to be within 20%of the rated value.
 For example, the color code of the above resistor in above figure is read as follows:

 The 1st band is brown. The first band is always the band closest to the end of theresistor.
From the table you can see that the number value of brown in the 1st bandcolumn is 1.

 The 2nd band is black. The number value of black in the 2nd band column is 0.

 Combining the two numbers gives you 10.

 The 3rd band is red. This is the multiplier band. The multiplier value of red is 100.

 Multiplying the combined digit of 10 by the multiplier gives us 1,000.

Therefore, the above resister is rated as 1,000 ohms, which can be written as 1 kΩ. The 4th or
tolerance, band of the resister is silver. Therefore, the resistor is guaranteed to have a
resistance value within 10% of 1kΩ.