Parallel circuit quiz,
practice, lab
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Unit 9: Electricity
Thursday, 2/25

Make note of date changes below.
Look through your notes and write one question about the
electricity unit you feel you need additional support
(example – question four on the parallel practice
worksheet). No questions? Then write about what you
have found most challenging about this unit.
Upcoming dates:







Thursday, 2/25 – parallel circuit quiz
Monday, 2/29 – Circuit design due
Wednesday, 3/2 - Unit quiz
Friday, 3/4 – Electricity Test and missing work deadline
Friday, 3/4 – 3NWS Extra credit due by 4:00 PM
Thursday, 3/10 – Magnetism quiz
Friday, 3/11 – End of the 3NWS
Unit Reflection
 Take
out your series circuit, parallel circuit, and
unit practice sheets.
 Take a red pen and do the following;



Put a check mark next to the questions feel
confident about.
Put a question mark next to the problems you are
not quite sure about.
Put a ‘X’ next to the questions you have no idea
where to start.
Review your self assessment
with your group
Unit Overview
Types of Electricity
Dynamic
Direct Current
(DC)
Series
Parallel
Static
Alternating
Current (AC)
Complex
Circuit – In Series
 Only
one path
Circuit – In Parallel
 More
than one path
What do you think?
 If
a circuit has multiple branches will the
voltage, resistance, and current behave
differently? Write your thoughts in your notes.
Parallel Circuit
1. reciprocal of the total resistance is the
sum of the reciprocals of the separate
resistors
1/RT = 1/R1 + 1/R2 +1/R3 + ...
2. total current is the sum of the current
through each resistor
IT = I1 + I2 + I3 + ...
3. potential difference is the same across
each resistor
VT = V1 = V2 = V3 = ...
In other words, in a parallel circuit, resistance adds as
reciprocals, voltage stays the same, and current splits.
Kirchhoff’s Rules
Junction Rule: the sum of all currents
entering the junction must equal the sum
of all currents leaving the junction.
Cool Down
 How
are series and parallel circuits the
same? How are they different?
Practice
Parallel Circuit Quiz
 You
have 20 minutes to complete the quiz.
 When you are finished turn your quiz over and
find something quiet to do (no phones).
Unit Overview
Types of Electricity
Dynamic
Direct Current
(DC)
Series
Parallel
Static
Alternating
Current (AC)
Complex
Cool Down
 If
you were going to design a series and a
parallel circuit what would you need?
How would you measure your results?
Lab
 Take
out your series circuit work sheet.
 Find something to write with and a piece of paper
for your group.
 You will be grouped by row today.
Directions
 Part

1
Measure the voltage of the battery.
 Turn
the dial to 20 on the multi-meter (top left)
 Place one probe on the positive (+) and one probe on
the negative (-) end.
 Record the voltage.
 Part

2
Measure the resistance of the resistors
 Turn
the dial to 200 (bottom left)
 Place a probe on each side of the resistor
 Record the resistance for each resistor (green, blue,
and red)
Series Circuit Simulation
 Re-create
the circuit from question one and
six from the series circuit work sheet.
 Measure the voltage, resistance, and current
in the circuit.
 Compare the worksheet values to the
simulations values and summarize your findings
using academic vocabulary (measuring
devices, voltage, resistance, current, etc.)
Parallel Circuit Simulation
 Re-create
the circuit from question five and six
from the parallel circuit work sheet.
 Measure the voltage, resistance, and current
in the circuit.
 Compare the worksheet values to the
simulations values and summarize your findings
using academic vocabulary (measuring
devices, voltage, resistance, current, etc.)
Project
 You
will work in groups of three (groups larger
than three need my approval).
 The project is a test grade.
 You can use any of the circuit supplies in the
back to make your circuit. The only limitation is
that it needs to fit on a circuit board.
 You need to make a series and a parallel circuit
(if you want to combine them and make a
complex circuit you may do so).
Review project details
Project Planning