Circuit Circus Mini-Labs

Over the next few class periods, we are going to apply our knowledge of
electricity to build a variety of circuits and test them for current, voltage and
power. You will work in teams to build the circuits shown below and to test
their properties. 0
r power
Xaresistan
ce - ovotage
P = VI
* =
북 -0 current

Experiment Circuit 1: Testing a simple light bulb circuit

Part 1 - Using a 6 V power supply, build the simple light circuit shown
above. Attach an ammeter and voltmeter such that you can measure:

(a)The electrical resistance of the light bulb.

mㅁ

R = 늘응= 102

(b)The electrical power of the light bulb.

VI = 606 3 6 w
P = = .
Part 2 - Use a light sensor that Dr. G will provide to measure the light
intensity output of the light when 6 V potential drop is applied.

Light Intensity = _____________________

Use the light intensity to calculate the “Power of light emitted” from the
lightbulb. You will need to remember the light intensity formula from the
waves unit.

Light Power =______________________

Part 3 - Answer the questions below:

How does your calculated light power compare with the electrical power
being consumed by the light bulb?

Explain why there might be differences in light power and electrical power?
Experiment Circuit 2: Electrical Heating Circuit

Replace the light bulb in circuit 1 with an immersion heater resistor that Dr. G supplied
to you.

(a) Use the current and voltage measurements to calculate the theoretical heating
power of the immersion heater.

Power of heater =

(b) Place the immersion heater inside a metal sample that Dr. G has supplied to you
as shown in the picture below.

Turn on the heating circuit and leave heating for 5 minutes. Use the temperature
change of the metal block to calculate the specific heat capacity of the block.

Specific Heat Capacity of Metal Block =

Experiment Circuit 3: How does a change in resistance affect current?

This experiment will confirm Ohm’s law. You will use a circuit board that has different
resistors on it to substitute the resistor in the circuit diagram above. You will measure
how the current changes as you change the resistors. Collect your data in the table
below.

Resistance (Ω) Measured Current [A )

1 OO 060

50 1 20

200 . 30

3O 0 O 20

(a) Make a graph of Measured Current vs. Resistance and insert it below.
n

1 .
1 . 2 ㅡ @

감에
Oa ㅡ

"

. ㅡ
@
망

. 있
→
! . 냅
Resistance ( 2 )
(b) Use the graph to calculate the actual output voltage of the power supply in the
experiment.
=
00
grapn :
으 나 : current, x : resistance )
λ

다음 according to onmis law : U = oo 0 voltss

Experiment Circuit 4: Series Circuits.

Make a series circuit using three light bulbs as shown in the diagram below.
Make sure your power supply is set to 6 volts.

(a) Using your measurement of light bulb resistance from experiment

circuit 1, calculate the total resistance of the circuit above.
since resistancesave inseries ,

Rtotal = R + R+ R = 3R = 3 ( 101 302

(b) Does your measured current in the circuit compare to the current you
can calculate using Ohm’s law? If not, what could be the problem?
Measurea current in tne circuit isequal to tne calculated
current usingoumislaw

(c) Describe how the light intensity of each bulb differs from experiment
circuit 1.
since 130 f total potenfial drop isapplied for each bulbi
tne lignt intensity decreased bu Factor of ③

(d) Measure the potential difference across each light bulb and calculate
the electrical power of each light bulb in the circuit.
Potential difference across eacn lignt bulb is 2 '

P = VI = 2 - 02 = 04W 만
 (e) Explain what happens to the light produced by each bulb if one of
them burns out in a series circuit.
burns out in a series circuit
If one of tne light bulbs ,

it will be open circuit wnicu means tnat current wil nox flow .

5o ,
tnere ligufis
no produced bu each bulb

Experiment Circuit 5: Parallel Circuits.

Build the parallel circuit shown above using three light bulbs and a 6 V
power supply.

(a)Measure the potential difference across each light bulb in the circuit.
Is this what you expect?
The potential aiffevence across each lignt bulb intne circuit
isthe same ,
6V .

(b)Calculate the power of each light bulb in this circuit. How do these
values compare with the power of each light bulb in the series circuit?
P = VI = 6180 = 1000 w

The power of each bulb in this circuit

light is larger than
that in the seriescircuit
(c) Explain what happens to the intensity of light produced by bulbs if one
of them burn out?
Tne intensituof lignt produced 매 bubs same if
onestaus
아 them burnont because voltage tnat isapplied for eacn bulb
isconstoant

Experiment Circuit 6: Combined Circuits.

(a)Calculate the total resistance of the circuit using the light bulb
resistance measurement from experiment 1.
-
parallel : -
sevies :

R=W 최 류
=
+ =

=
급. RT = RP + 금 5 + 1 = 52

(b)Measure the total current flowing through the circuit and the current
flowing through each branch in the circuit. How do these values
compare? You should be able to see Kirchoffs Junction rule in action.
each
Tne current
flowing +
hrougnMbranch of parallel
circuit isozoA ( 0 40/ each bulbnas
.

2 ) since
tne same resistance Tne fotalandotner branches'
currentsare o 4 oA becanse the sum of the currents

flowing intoand out of the junctino are equal

 (c) Explain why the bulbs in the parallel branches are dimmer than
single bulb connected in series.
since single resistance is larger
bulb tnanis
the total resistance inthe parallel branches ,
single
bulb nas more potential drop tnan the buub in paralle )
so those bulbs have less powerand
branchesdo ,

aredimmer

Experiment Circuit 7: Multi-Loop Circuit

Build the circuit below using two battery sources. Make sure the batteries
are connected such that their current flow oppose each other in the
multi-loop circuit.

1O 2 LO 2

I I2
→ ←

LI3 Loop
LOOP
OQ
소 2
3V 3V

(a) Explain why the bulb in the middle branch is the brightest?
Because tne voltage pass thvough tne bulb in tne miadle
branchis twice larger tnan tnat of tne otner bulbs

THe
voltage tne larger
powernighevr
(b) Measure the current flowing through the central branch of the circuit.
O 2 - OA
 L0 op : I R+ I 2 R = V ,
Loop : I 2R- 21
3R = V
I

= I3
1 이 t I 2) = 3 I2 I + I3
( 미 I 2 31
I 3) =
-
=

I, = oIOA
I3 = O 이 OA
I2 = 0 20 A

c) Using your measurements of the resistance for each bulb in experiment

1, show by calculations involving Kirchoff’s multi-loop law

Experiment Circuit 8: Making a dimmer switch using a potential

divider.

Dr. G will demonstrate how to make and test a dimmer switch. You will then make and
test your own circuit

(a) Draw a circuit diagram for a potential diving circuit that incorporates a
variable resistor (dimmer).
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반로보
(b) Explain how the “ratio” formula works to calculate divided potential in a
circuit.

Experiment Circuit 9: Making a sensor/alarm using potential dividing

circuits.

Dr. G will demonstrate how to make and test a sensor/alarm circuit. You will then make
and test your own circuit and measure changes in potential output as a result of light or
heat inputs.

(a) Draw a diagram of light sensor circuit such that absence of a light signal
triggers an alarm.

내
바
□
.⑫ 000 M

3는
(b) Draw a diagram of a heat sensor circuit such that a high temperature
triggers an alarm.

-
쳐치