Ch20_HallowellC

toc =10/7/11 - 10/16/11 (Part 1)=
 * Electric Circuits Packet**

Investigations:
 * 1. What is needed to make a bulb light?**


 * HYPOTHESIS**: I believe that in order for a bulb to light, I will need to have a complete circuit. This circuit will include a battery, two wires, and a small light bulb. The wire will need to be connected to one end of the battery and one side of the "light holder". The more batteries in the circuit will mean a brighter light.

I hooked up certain configurations of circuits using batteries, wires, and light bulbs. Once the circuit was complete, I then took note of whether or not the light bulb illuminated.
 * SUMMARY OF PROCEDURE:**


 * DATA TABLE**:

Overall, after completing the investigation, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. In order to make a bulb light, one wire must be connected to an end of the battery along with one side of the light holder. The other wire will also need to be connected to the other side of the battery and the other side of the light holder. I was also able to conclude that more batteries in a circuit equals a brighter light.
 * CONCLUSION:**


 * 2. What will happen to Bulbs 1 and 2 when you disconnect the wires of the configuration below at the various labeled points?**


 * HYPOTHESIS:** Due to what I learned in the previous investigation, I believe that when you disconnect the wires at any of the labeled points on the picture below, the light will turn off. That is because a circuit will not be effective unless it is completely closed.

I set up the situation below on a table. I then disconnected the circuit at the labeled points and took note of whether or not the light bulb illuminated.
 * SUMMARY OF PROCEDURE:**


 * DIAGRAM OF SET-UP:**


 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Disconnect at ? || Light On/Off ||
 * A || Off ||
 * B || Off ||
 * C || Off ||
 * D || Off ||
 * E || Off ||
 * F || Off ||

After performing the investigation, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. No matter where you disconnect the circuit, both light bulbs will turn off every time. In order for a light bulb to light up, one needs to have a complete closed circuit in place.
 * CONCLUSION:**


 * 3. What type of object, when inserted into the space labeled "something" in the loop shown below, will allow the bulbs to light?**

I believe that when we put an object into the circuit that is a conductor, like a metal or wire, the light bulb will light up. However, when we put an object that is an insulator into the circuit, like a piece of cardboard or paper, the light bulb will not light up.
 * HYPOTHESIS:**

I set up the situation below on a table. I then inserted different objects into the spot labeled "something" on the diagram. After inserting each object, I took note of whether or not the light bulb illuminated.
 * SUMMARY OF PROCEDURE:**


 * DIAGRAM OF SET-UP:**


 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Object Used || Picture || Light On/Off ||
 * Ring || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_14.21.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || On ||
 * Finger || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_14.22_#2.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || Off ||
 * Aluminum || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_14.20.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || On ||
 * Plastic Ruler || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_14.21_#3.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || Off ||
 * Cardboard || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_14.21_#2.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || Off ||
 * Paper Clip || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_14.22.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || On ||

After performing the experiment, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. The paper clip, aluminum foil, and ring all caused the light bulb to light up. This was because they were all conductors, which meant they allowed the charge to flow freely. The cardboard, plastic ruler, and my finger all did not cause the light bulb to light up because they are insulators, which mean they do not all the charge to flow freely.
 * CONCLUSION:**

A. ** DEFINE AND EXPLAIN: What is a conductor and what is an insulator? How do you know? How can you test this using our loop configuration? ** A conductor is a material or device that conducts or transmits electricity. This is an object allows electricity to flow freely through it. In Investigation 3, we were able to see which objects were the conductors by seeing which object caused the light bulb to illuminate. When a conductor is added to a circuit, it acts as another part of the free-flowing "chain" that allows electricity to flow freely. An insulator is a material or device that does not conduct electricity. Insulators do not allow electricity to flow freely and often deaden any electrical current. In Investigation 3, we were able to see which objects were the insulators by seeing which objects did not cause the bulb to light up. As soon as an insulator is added to a circuit, the charge is no longer able to flow freely in the chain.

Investigation:
 * 4. What parts of a socket and bulb are conductors and which are insulators? What is the conducting path through the bulb?**

Based on my previous investigations throughout this process, I believe that both clips and plates on the socket (light holder) will be conductors. I do not believe that the base of the socket will be conductive because it is made of plastic. On the light bulb, I believe the metal tip and the threaded section will be conductive because they are both made of metal. I believe the black ring will be an insulator because it is being used to separate the threaded section from the metal tip. I also believe that the conducting path through the bulb is up through the metal tip, through the filament in the glass, and out through the threaded section (or vice versa).
 * HYPOTHESIS:**

I set up a circuit with batteries, wires, and a light bulb. I also included a socket for the first part of the investigation and a separate light bulb for the other part of the investigation. For the first part, I included different parts of the socket into the circuit by touching the alligator clips to the parts and took note of whether or not the light bulb illuminated. For the second part, I included different parts of the light bulb into the circuit by touching the parts with the alligator clips. I took note of whether or no the main light bulb illuminated.
 * SUMMARY OF PROCEDURE:**


 * DIAGRAMS OF SOCKET:**


 * DATA TABLE FOR SOCKET:**
 * Description || Picture || Light On/Off ||
 * Regular Circuit with Left Clip || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_20.05.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || On ||
 * Regular Circuit with Right Clip || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_20.04.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || On ||
 * Regular Circuit with Top Plate || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_20.06.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || On ||
 * Regular Circuit with Bottom Plate || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_20.07.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || On ||
 * Regular Circuit with Plastic Base || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_20.08.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || Off ||


 * DIAGRAM OF LIGHT BULB:**


 * DATA TABLE FOR LIGHT BULB:**
 * Description || Picture || Light On/Off ||
 * Regular Circuit with Metal Tip || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_20.11.jpg width="511" height="383"]] || Off ||
 * Regular Circuit with Threaded Section || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_20.11_#2.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || On ||
 * Regular Circuit with Glass Covering || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_20.12.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || Off ||
 * Regular Circuit with Black Ring || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-12_at_20.12_#2.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || Off ||

After performing the investigation, I was able to conclude that my hypothesis for the socket was correct. Both clips and plates were conductive because the light bulb illuminated when they were part of the circuit. The plastic base was an insulator because when it was part of the circuit, the light bulb did not light up. I was also able to conclude that my hypothesis for the light bulb was not completely correct. Originally, I thought that when I connected the metal tip by itself to the circuit, the light bulb would light up. I was incorrect with this statement. I was also able to conclude, after investigating my light bulb, that my hypothesis regarding the conducting path through a light bulb was correct. The electricity enters through either the metal tip or the threaded section. It then travels through the filament and then out the opposite way it came in.
 * CONCLUSION:**

Sheet 1
 * Practice Set: The CCP**

Sheet 2

Investigation:
 * 5. How can you light a bulb using one battery, one bulb, and one wire ONLY? How many different correct ways can you do this? What DIDN'T work, and why?**

I think I will be able to light the light bulb by touching the metal tip to one end of the battery. One end of the wire will connect to the other end of the battery. The other end of the wire will touch the threaded section of the light bulb. I believe that I can do this only 2 different ways. I need to make sure that both the threaded section and the metal tip are able to get electricity from the battery.
 * HYPOTHESIS:**

After obtaining my three materials, I then had a partner help me test out a few different trials. After each trial, I took note to see whether or not the light bulb illuminated.
 * SUMMARY OF PROCEDURE:**


 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Description || Picture || Light On/Off ||
 * Metal Tip touching battery, Threaded section touching wire, Wire touching battery || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-13_at_13.59_#2_2.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || On ||
 * Metal Tip touching wire, Wire touching battery, Threaded section touching battery || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-13_at_14.01.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || On ||
 * Metal Tip touching wire, Wire touching battery, Threaded section touching nothing || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-13_at_14.02_#2.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || On ||
 * Threaded section touching wire, wire touching battery, Metal Tip touching nothing || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-13_at_14.02.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || On ||

After performing the investigation, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. In order to light a bulb using those three materials, both the threaded section and the metal tip must be connected to either the battery or a wire that is connected to the battery. Those two pieces of the light bulb need to be connected to a source of power. I was able to find that there were only to ways to light the bulb. If either the threaded section or metal tip is not touching a source of power, then the light will not illuminate.
 * CONCLUSION:**

Sheet 1
 * Practice Set: Basic Circuits**

Sheet 2

Sheet 3

A circuit is a closed loop of conducting materials that allows electricity to flow freely. If an insulator is included, or if there is a gap in the circuit, the light bulb will not light.
 * B. DEFINE: What is a circuit?**

Investigation:
 * 6/7. What does a compass tell you about what is happening in the wires of the circuit? What effect does reversing the battery pack have on the compass deflection? What does this mean about the role of the battery in the circuit?**

When the compass is deflected, that means there is electricity flowing in the wires. I believe that when the compass is pointing towards the negative side of the batteries, the compass needle will move counter-clockwise. I also believe that when the compass is pointing towards the positive side of the batteries, the compass needle will move clockwise.
 * HYPOTHESIS:**

I set up the scene below using batteries, wires, a light bulb, and a compass. For two trials, I lined up the compass needle with the wire facing towards the positive end of the battery. For the other two trials, I lined up the compass needle with the wire facing toward the negative end of the battery. After each trial, I took note whether or not the light bulb illuminated.
 * SUMMARY OF PROCEDURE:**


 * PHOTO OF SET-UP:**


 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Description || Compass Needle Clockwise/Counter Clockwise ||
 * Needle facing away from positive end of battery || Counter Clockwise ||
 * Needle facing away from negative end of battery || Clockwise ||
 * Needle facing towards positive end of battery || Clockwise ||
 * Needle facing towards negative end of battery || Counter Clockwise ||

After completing the investigation, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. When the circuit was complete and the compass was underneath one of the wires, the needle would deflect. When the needle was facing towards the positive end of the battery to start, the needle would deflect in a clockwise manner. When the needle was facing towards the negative end of the battery to start, the needle would deflect in a counter-clockwise manner. The role of the battery in the circuit determines which way the electricity flows through the circuit.
 * CONCLUSION:**

Sheet 1
 * Practice Set: Wires**

Sheet 2

Investigation:
 * 8. What is a Genecon and how does it work? What does it tell you about the role of the battery in the circuit and why?**

I believe that a Genecon is a device that can generate energy to move charge through a circuit. It works by turning the handle at a fast speed to light up the bulb. I believe that the Genecon tells us that the role of the battery is to provide the energy to move the charge around the circuit. If there was no battery or Genecon, the charge would not circulate throughout the circuit, therefore, there the bulb would not light up.
 * HYPOTHESIS:**

After setting up a circuit with a Genecon and a light bulb, I performed several trials that included no turns of the handle, slwo turns of the handle, and fast turns of the handle. After each trial, I took note whether or not the light bulb illuminated and how bright the light was.
 * SUMMARY OF PROCEDURE:**


 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Description || Photo || Light On/Off ||
 * No turn of handle || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-16_at_20.03.jpg width="448" height="336"]] || Off ||
 * Fast turn of handle (clockwise) || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-16_at_20.04_#3.jpg width="448" height="336"]] || On (bright) ||
 * Slow turn of handle (clockwise) || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-16_at_20.05_#2.jpg width="448" height="336"]] || On (dim) ||
 * Fast turn of handle (counterclockwise) || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-16_at_20.04.jpg width="448" height="336"]] || On (bright) ||
 * Slow turn of handle (counterclockwise) || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-16_at_20.05.jpg width="448" height="336"]] || On (dim) ||

After performing the investigation, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. I learned through my trials that in order to light the bulb when the Genecon is hooked up, you must turn the handle. The faster you turn the handle, the brighter the light shines. I can also conclude that the Genecon works in a similar fashion to a battery in a circuit in the sense that both help to circulate the charge throughout the circuit and as a result, light the bulb.
 * CONCLUSION:**

A schematic diagram (circuit diagram) is something that scientists use globally to represent circuits. Rather than drawing out pictures of the circuits with batteries, wires, and bulbs, schematic diagrams contain special symbols and signs for various elements of the circuit. Schematic diagrams are an easier, more clear way to represent real-life circuits.
 * DEFINE and EXPLAIN: What is a schematic diagram? What are the symbols for the various circuit elements?**

Symbols:

Sheet 1
 * Practice Set: Schematics**

Sheet 2

A capacitor is a three layer device that is used to store certain amounts of charge and energy. It is made by putting an insulator layer (dielectric layer) in between two conducting layers (plates). These layers are rolled up and put inside a cylinder. The plates are made very thin and each has a screw or wire called a terminal, attached to it so it can be connected to a circuit.
 * DEFINE and EXPLAIN: What is a capacitor and how is it made?**

Investigations:
 * 9. What is the effect of a capacitor on a closed loop?**

After watching a demonstration in class, I believe that the capacitor will cause the circuit to act in a weird way. When the circuit is complete with batteries, a bulb and a capacitor, the light bulbs will illuminate and then they will go out. After this happens, when we take one of the wires off the battery ends and touch it to the other wire on the other end of the battery, the light will then illuminate and go out. The capacitor will store the charge and then release it.
 * HYPOTHESIS:**

After setting up the situation below, I then performed the trials that are described in the table below. The table gives a step by step procedure of each of my trials.
 * SUMMARY OF PROCEDURE:**


 * PHOTO OF SET-UP:**


 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Description || Result ||
 * Step 1: After including the capacitor, batteries, and bulb in the circuit, the circuit is complete by touching the wire to one end of the batteries. || The bulb flashes and then goes out after about 2 seconds. ||
 * Step 2: After completing Step1, I took the wire off the end of the battery and once again touch the wire to the same end of the battery. || The bulb did not respond. ||
 * Step 3: I took the wire off the same end of the battery and then touched the wire to the wire on the other end of the battery. || The light flashed and then went out after about 2 seconds. ||
 * Step 4: I took the wire off other wire on the battery and then once again connected the original wire to its original side of the battery. || The light flashed and went out after about 2 seconds. ||

After completing the investigation, I was able to conclude that my hypothesis was correct. Once a circuit is closed with a capacitor included, the light shines and then goes out after a short amount of time. This happens because of the capacitor's materials. The insulating layer deflects the charge and causes a buildup around the area of the capacitor. Because the charge is not able to flow continuously, the light bulb illuminates briefly and then goes out. Once I touched the wire to the other wire, the light once again lit up and went out because the charge moved back into its original place and into the batteries, however, due to the capacitor still being there, the light bulb still only flashed for a shirt period. Overall, the capacitor acts as a storage device for charge and energy. It also does not allow charge to flow freely through a circuit due to the insulating layer cutting off the chain of conducting materials.
 * CONCLUSION:**


 * 10. What is origin of mobile charge? From where does the mobile charge originate during the charging and discharging process?**

In the charging process, the mobile charge will originate from the positive end of the batteries. In the discharging process, the mobile charge will originate from the capacitor.
 * HYPOTHESIS:**


 * DIAGRAM OF SET-UP:**

Charging
 * DATA:**
 * Compass Point || Description || Result ||
 * A || Compass at point A with needle facing towards capacitor || Needle deflects clockwise ||
 * B || Compass at point B with needle facing towards capacitor || Needle deflects clockwise ||
 * C || Compass at point C with needle facing away from capacitor || Needle deflects clockwise ||
 * D || Compass at point D with needle facing away from capacitor || Needle deflects clockwise ||

Discharging
 * Compass Point || Description || Result ||
 * E || Compass at point E with needle facing towards point F and capacitor || Needle deflects counterclockwise ||
 * F || Compass at point F with needle facing towards capacitor || Needle deflects counterclockwise ||
 * G || Compass at point G with needle facing towards Point E and capacitor || Needle deflects counterclockwise ||

Overall, after performing the investigation, my hypothesis was correct. When the charging process is occurring the mobile charge is leaving the batteries. The charge is making its way through the circuit. During the discharging process, the charge is leaving the capacitors and returning to its original place on the circuit where the charge was evenly distributed.
 * CONCLUSION:**

Sheet 1
 * Practice Set: Electrical Energy**

Sheet 2

(Already built)
 * Make a Model: Air Capacitor**

Sheet 1
 * Investigating the Air Capacitor**

Sheet 2

Sheet 3

Sheet 1
 * Practice Set: Capacitance**

Sheet 2

=10/8/11= Summarizing Current Electricity: Lesson 2 (Method 2b) 1. What (specifically) did you read that you understand well? Describe at least 2 items fully. I understand that an electric circuit needs to have a complete loop in order to work effectively. The charges will then be able to move continuously. In the light bulb experiment, once there is a complete circuit, the light bulb lights up immediately. I also understand the anatomy of the light bulb as well. I understand that the bottom of the light bulb is connected to the filament along with the sides of the base. The charge can either enter through the base and exit the side, or it can enter the side and exit through the base. it is important to note that no matter which way the charge goes through the bulb, it always has to go through the filament which lights up the bulb.

2. What (specifically) did you read that made you feel little confused/unclear/shaky, but further reading helped to clarify? Describe the misconception(s) you were having as well as your new understanding. At first, I did not understand why it was needed to pump the electric charge against the electric field. However, after further reading, it then made complete sense that the electric charge would naturally move from the positive end of the battery to the negative end of the battery. Once there, the charge would then need to get back to the positive end of the battery. That is where the battery itself comes to use. The battery has the power to pump the electric charge against the electric field and bring it from the negative side to the positive side.

3. What (specifically) did you read that you don’t understand? Please word these in the form of questions. I do not completely understand drift speeds. I do not understand why they are so slow.

4. What (specifically) did you read that you thought was pretty interesting, that you didn't know before, or can easily apply to your every day life? I thought it was interesting how they compared the electric circuit to a water ride at a water park. The water travels from a high potential energy state at the top of the slide to a low potential energy state at the bottom of the slide. Then, the water needs to somehow get back to the top of the slide. Similar to the battery in an electric circuit, a water pump moves the water back to the top of the slide so it can then move back down the slide in a continuous loop.

=10/17/11 - 10/26/11 (Part 2)= Part 2: Resistance Activity


 * 1. What effect does the type of bulb have on a capacitor during charging and discharging**?

I believe that discharging through the long bulbs will take a longer time than discharging through the round bulbs because the long bulbs have a thinner filament than the round bulb's filament, therefore it will have more resistance and the charge will travel through at a slower speed.
 * HYPOTHESIS:**


 * DIAGRAM OF SET-UP:**


 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Description || Picture || Result ||
 * Charge through two round bulbs || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-19_at_20.15.jpg width="576" height="432"]] || The bulbs lit temporarily ||
 * Discharge through two round bulbs || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-19_at_20.15_#2.jpg width="576" height="432"]] || The bulbs lit temporarily (short time) ||
 * Discharge through two long bulbs || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-19_at_20.16_#3.jpg width="576" height="432"]] || The bulbs lit temporarily (longer time) ||
 * Discharge through Genecon || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-19_at_20.18.jpg width="576" height="432"]] || The Genencon twisted slightly counterclockwise when we touched the wires ||

Overall, after performing the investigation, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. After charging with round bulbs for both trials, I noticed that when I replaced the long bulbs, the light illuminated for a longer period during the discharge period. The round bulbs illuminated for a shorter period during the discharge period. In addition, it was very interesting to see how the Genecon's handle twisted when it was connected to the charged capacitor. The charge moving away from the capacitor caused the handle to twist counterclockwise.
 * CONCLUSION:**


 * 2. What are the differences between the filaments of round and long bulbs? (Use a microscope)**


 * HYPOTHESIS:** Based on which bulb is bigger, I believe that the filament for long bulb will be thicker than the filament for the round bulb.


 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Type of Bulb || Result ||
 * Round || Thick, short filament ||
 * Long || Thin, long filament ||


 * CONCLUSION:** After observing both under a microscope, I can conclude that my hypothesis was incorrect. The filament of a round bulb is thicker then the filament of a long bulb. In addition, the filament of the round bulb has more curves and twists than the filament of the long bulb. Lastly, the filament of the long bulb was longer than the filament of the round bulb.

After performing the activity in class that involved breathing through different sized straws, it is clear that air moving through straws is analogous to charge moving through a filament. When I breathe through a straw that is thick, it is much easier and my breath ends faster. On the contrary, when I breathe through a straw that is thin, it takes much longer to finish the breath. This same idea is comparable to how a charge moves through different filaments. When the filament is thin, it takes the charge longer to pass through it, whereas, if the filament is thick, the charge passes through quicker. After testing a few other straws, I also noticed that it was harder to breathe through a straw that long rather than short. Again, a charge's movement through a filament is very similar to this idea. When a charge moves through a filament that is longer, it takes much longer for the charge to pass through, while, if the filament is shorter, the charge will move through at a quicker pace. The evidence for these idea with the charge can be seen the in previous two activities. After finding out that a round bulb had a thicker, shorter filament than a long bulb with a thinner, longer filament, it makes sense that the round bulb was lit for a shorter amount of time during a charging period than the long bulb.
 * 3. How is air moving through straws analogous to charge moving through a filament?**

As discussed in our class activity, flow rate is the amount of charge over a certain amount of time. Flow speed is the amount of distance that a charge covers over a certain amount of time (similar to v=d/t).
 * 4. What is the difference between flow rate and flow speed?**


 * 5. How does the number of bulbs in a single loop affect the overall current and resistance in a circuit?**

I believe that when I add more bulbs to the circuit, the resistance will increase due to the increase in the length of the circuit and added distance due to the bulbs. The bulbs will cause extra resistance. This added resistance will cause the current to decrease, which means that the amount of charge flowing past a point over a certain time interval will decrease as more bulbs are added. These two factors will result in the light bulbs becoming dimmer as more bulbs are added. In addition, when there are more bulbs that are in the circuit, the compass will have a weaker deflection.
 * HYPOTHESIS:**


 * DIAGRAM OF SET-UP:**

Compass deflected more than B and C || Compass deflected more than C, less than B || Compass deflected less than A and B ||
 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Circuit || Result ||
 * A || Bulb brighter than B and C
 * B || Bulbs brighter than C, but less than A
 * C || Bulbs less bright that A and B

After performing the investigation, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. When I added more bulbs to the circuit, the brightness of the bulbs lessened. This happened because as I add more light bulbs to the circuit, it will increase the resistance of the circuit. When the resistance of the circuit is increased, the current will decrease. This means that less charge is passing over a point in a certain amount of time. As a result, the bulbs are less bright. In addition to affecting the brightness of the bulbs, the addition of bulbs also caused the amount of deflection of the needle to decrease. This occurred because the current had decreased.
 * CONCLUSION:**


 * 6. Problem Set: Resistance**




 * 7. Read and Summarize: Circuits**


 * 8. Read and Questions: Pressure Difference**

Explanations: Step A: When the charging just begins, the pressure difference between the ends of the battery and the plates of the capacitor are greatest, therefore the flow rate strength will be greatest. This will mean the bulbs will be brightest. Step B: As the charging progresses, the pressure difference between the ends of the battery and the plates of the capacitor becomes less, therefore the flow rate strength decreases and the brightness of the bulbs decreases. Step C: As the charging progresses, the pressure difference between the ends of the battery and the plates of the capacitor becomes less, therefore the flow rate strength decreases and the brightness of the bulbs decreases. Step D: When the pressure difference between the ends of the battery and the plates of the capacitor becomes equal, the flow rate strength is non-existent, therefore the bulbs do not light.
 * 9. Notes/Activity: Color Coding**

1st Page
 * 10. Practice Set: Color Coding**

2nd Page 12) Questions for 2nd circuit a. They are the same brightness because it is a parallel circuit, therefore the flow rate remains equal. b. They are the same because the compass is connected to the trunk wire in each circuit, therefore it has the same flow rate.

Questions for 3rd circuit c. They are the same brightness because it is a parallel circuit, therefore the flow rate remains equal. d. They are the same because the compass is connected to the trunk wire in each circuit, therefore it has the same flow rate.

e. A battery is a source of constant pressure difference because the compass deflected the same amount for all the circuits. It is also a source of constant flow rate because the bulbs were all the same brightness. In addition, the compass deflected the same amount for all the circuits as well.


 * 11. How does the number of bulbs side-by-side affect the overall current and resistance in a circuit?**


 * HYPOTHESIS:** I believe that when we add bulbs side-by-side in the parallel circuit, the resistance will not change. This is happening because there is only one bulb on each branch so the resistance will not be affected overall. The current will also be equal after each junction because there will be a smaller, equal amount of charge flowing past through each bulb, but the time will be the same for each so the overall current will not change.


 * DIAGRAM OF SET-UP:**
 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Number of Round Bulbs || Picture || Result (Bulb Brightness, Amount of Compass Deflection) ||
 * 1 || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-24_at_22.46.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || Medium brightness, About 25 degrees of deflection ||
 * 2 || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-24_at_22.52.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || Medium brightness (same as 1 bulb), About 25 degrees of deflection ||
 * 3 || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-24_at_22.54.jpg width="384" height="288"]] || Medium brightness (same as 1 bulb and 2 bulbs), About 25 degrees of deflection ||


 * CONCLUSION:** After performing the investigation, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. By observing amount of compass deflection when the circuit was closed, I was able to conclude that the current stayed the same for each circuit. This is because the compass deflected the same amount for each circuit. In addition, after observing the brightness of the bulbs, I was also able to conclude that the resistance did not change through each circuit. The bulbs stayed the same brightness for each circuit. This means that the resistance throughout the circuit did not change, therefore the flow rate did not change.


 * 12. Does adding wires in series or in parallel affect the overall resistance of the circuit?**

HYPOTHESIS: I believe that when I add wires in series, the overall resistance will not be affected because wires have very, very little resistance. I also believe that when I add a wire in parallel, the overall resistance will change because once again, the wire has very little resistance.

DIAGRAM OF SET-UP:

DATA TABLE:
 * Circuit || Picture || Result ||
 * A || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-24_at_23.18.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || Low brightness of bulbs, About 5 degrees of deflection ||
 * B || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-24_at_23.19.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || Low brightness of bulbs (Same as A), About 5 degrees of deflection ||
 * C || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-24_at_23.23.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || High brightness of bulb closest to positive end of battery, No light from bulb closest to negative end of battery, About 10 degrees of deflection ||


 * CONCLUSION:** After performing the investigation, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. In circuit B, when I added more wires in between the two bulbs, the resistance of the circuit did not change because the bulbs did not change their brightness from A to B. In circuit C, when I added a wire that connected to the two plates of the lower socket, the upper bulb got brighter, but the lower bulb went out. This happened because I essentially short-circuited the bulb. The charge always wants to go to the path of lower resistance. In this case, the wire was less resistant than the long bulb, the charge completely skipped over the lower bulb. As seen by the compass deflection being greater in C, than in A or B, the current increased once the resistance of the circuit decreased. This caused the upper bulb to shine brighter.


 * 13. What effect do dueling battery packs have on bulb lighting and flow rate?**


 * HYPOTHESIS**: I believe that when we add a dueling battery to the series circuit, it will act as a resistor and lower the brightness of the light bulbs. Due to the decrease in the brightness of the bulbs, it will dim the lights.


 * DIAGRAM OF SET-UP:**


 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Circuit || Picture || Result ||
 * A || [[image:Photo_on_2011-11-02_at_09.22.jpg width="475" height="411"]] || Normal brightness (Normal circuit) ||
 * B || [[image:Photo_on_2011-11-02_at_09.24.jpg width="475" height="411"]] || Brightness of 2 batteries ||
 * C || [[image:Photo_on_2011-11-02_at_09.25.jpg width="475" height="411"]] || Brightness of 1 battery ||
 * D || [[image:Photo_on_2011-11-02_at_09.28.jpg width="475" height="411"]] || No bulbs lit (Cancel each other out) ||
 * E ||  || Normal brightness of 3 batteries ||
 * F ||  || No bulbs lit (As if there are zero batteries) ||
 * G ||  || Brightness of 3 batteries ||

After performing the investigation, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. When I added a dueling battery to the circuit, it acted as a resistor. This means that the current decreased, which means that the brightness of the bulbs decreased. The more dueling batteries that we added, the dimmer the lights got. I can also conclude that when I added batteries in parallel to the circuit, they did not have an effect on the brightness of the bulbs.
 * CONCLUSION:**

1st page (Reading)
 * 14. Practice Set: Battery Structure**

2nd page (Reading)

3rd page (Reading + Work)


 * 15. How does mixing bulbs in series affect flow rate and pressure in each part of the circuit?**


 * HYPOTHESIS:** I believe that when we mix bulbs in series, the charge will flow at the rate of the bulb with the highest resistance. In this circuit, the long bulb will light while the round bulb will not. When I add the capacitor in parallel, the long bulb will not light at first, however, the round bulb will. Then, once the capacitor becomes charged the long bulb will light, while the round bulb will not.

For the first part of the investigation, I completed the circuit will a long bulb and a round bulb. For the second part of the investigation, I added a capacitor in parallel that short-circuited the long bulb. I also added a compass in each part on A to see how the flow rates compared in each circuit.
 * DIAGRAM/EXPLANATION OF SET-UP:**


 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Part || Picture/Video || Result ||
 * 1 || [[image:Photo_on_2011-10-25_at_23.31.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || Long bulb lights, Round bulb does not light, Compass deflects about 10 degrees ||
 * 2 || media type="file" key="Movie on 2011-10-25 at 23.38.mov" width="300" height="300" || Round bulb lights briefly, then long bulb stays lighted, Compass deflects about 20 degrees ||


 * CONCLUSION:** After performing the experiment, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. For the first part, the long bulb lit while the round bulb did not. This occurred because when you mix bulbs in series, the charge will flow at the rate of the bulb with the highest resistance. Based on previous investigations, we knew that long bulbs had a higher resistance due to their filament. The round bulb was not able to light because the charge flowing at a rate that was too low. For the second part, the round bulb lit briefly at first because I originally short-circuited the long bulb with the capacitor. This allowed the charge to flow at the rate that would light the round bulb. Then, when the capacitor had charged, the excess charge that was building up, was pushed toward the long bulb. This then caused the long bulb to stay lighted, while the round bulb then went out for the reasons explained in part 1.

Page 1 (Reading) Page 2 (Work)
 * 16: Reading: Mixing Bulbs**


 * 17: What is the effect of adding another round bulb in parallel?**

I believe that when I add another round bulb in parallel, it will not have an effect on the brightness of the bulbs.
 * HYPOTHESIS:**


 * DIAGRAM OF SET-UP:**
 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Description || Picture || Result ||
 * Regular series circuit with all round bulbs || [[image:Photo_on_2011-11-02_at_21.54.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || Regular brightness for all the bulbs ||
 * Parallel circuit with all round bulbs || [[image:Photo_on_2011-11-02_at_22.04.jpg width="512" height="384"]] || The two bulbs in series get brighter, two bulbs in parallel get dimmer ||

After performing the investigation, I can conclude that my hypothesis was incorrect. When I added a round bulb in parallel, the two bulbs that were in series got brighter, while the two bulbs in parallel got dimmer. This occurred because the flow rate of the circuit increased because there was less "traffic" in the circuit when the wires split and the charge had the option to choose between the two branches. The two bulbs in series got brighter as a result of this increase in current. The two bulbs in parallel got dimmer because they did not have enough charges therefore they were sharing the current.
 * CONCLUSION:**


 * 18: How does the addition of another branch affect flow rate and pressure in the wires?**

When we add a branch with a long bulb, the original long bulb will get dimmer and be the same brightness as the new long bulb. When we add a round bulb to the circuit, the long bulb will go out and the two round bulbs will be the same brightness. When we add another branch with no bulb, the round bulb will light but the long bulb will not.
 * HYPOTHESIS:**


 * DIAGRAM OF SET-UP:**


 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Circuit || Picture || Result ||
 * Original (no extra branch) || [[image:Photo_on_2011-11-02_at_22.36.jpg width="448" height="336"]] || The long bulb lights, Round bulb does not light ||
 * 1 || [[image:Photo_on_2011-11-02_at_22.43.jpg width="448" height="336"]] || Both long bulbs light (same brightness), Round bulb lights very slightly ||
 * 2 || [[image:Photo_on_2011-11-02_at_22.43_#2.jpg width="448" height="336"]] || Round bulbs light, but long bulb lights slightly as well ||
 * 3 || [[image:Photo_on_2011-11-02_at_22.46_#3.jpg width="448" height="336"]] || Round bulb lights, long bulb does not ||

After performing the investigation, I can conclude that some of my hypothesis was correct and some of my hypothesis was incorrect. In the original circuit, the long bulb lit and the round bulb did not because the charge always flows at the rate of the lowest resistance in a series circuit. In circuit #3, the round bulb lit because when we added the wire in parallel with the long bulb, the charge will always try to follow the path of the lowest resistance so we essentially short-circuited the long bulb and completely skipped over the long bulb. In circuit #1, after we added the long bulb in parallel with the other long bulb, the two long bulbs were the same brightness, however, the round bulb lit very lightly. This occurred because when the bulb was added in parallel, there was less "traffic" in the circuit so as a result, the flow rate increased slightly which allowed the round bulb to light slightly. In circuit #2, after we added the round bulb in parallel with the original long bulb, most of the charge went to the low resistance round bulb which caused the round bulb to light up, however, the long bulb lit slightly because some of the charge still went towards the long bulb.
 * CONCLUSION:**


 * 19. What is the effect of decreasing the resistance of the right side of the circuit on: a) the flow rate through the battery; b) the pressure difference across the battery; c) brightness of the left bulb ?**

I believe that when I add bulb with less resistance and more bulbs to the other side of the circuit, the flow rate of the battery and pressure difference through the battery will decrease, however, the brightness of the left bulb will remain constant.
 * HYPOTHESIS:**


 * DIAGRAM OF SET-UP:**


 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Circuit || Result ||
 * A || Both bulbs are same brightness, Compass deflects about 15 degrees ||
 * B || Long bulb stays same brightness, Compass deflects about 20 degrees ||
 * C || Long bulb stays the same brightness, Compass deflects about 30 degrees ||

After performing the investigation, I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct. As I added more bulbs that we less resistant, the flow rate increased as seen by the increase in the deflection of the compass. Because the resistance was decreased throughout the circuit, the pressure difference decreased because there was less resistance for the charge. The brightness of the long bulb stayed the same because we used the same amount of batteries for each circuit and the same amount of charge went towards the long bulb during each trial.
 * CONCLUSION:**


 * 20. Practice Set: What determines pressure in the wires?**




 * 21. Activity: Ammeter Voltmeter**


 * HYPOTHESIS:**
 * A.** (On sheet)


 * B.** Greatest- E, A, C, D, F, B, G, H - Least (flow rate)

a: 4.35 V b: 2.00 V c: 2.05 V d: 4.27 V || a: 210 mA b: 210 mA c: 210 mA || a: 4.46 V b: 2.53 V c: 1.89 V d: 4.40 V || a: 60.3 mA b: 60.3 mA c: 59.5 mA || a: 4.47 V b: .21 V c: 4.03 V d: 4.29 V || a: 80.5 mA b: 80.2 mA c: 80.1 mA || a: 4.51 V b: 4.11 V c: .38 V d: 4.49 V || a: 87.8 mA b: 86.5 mA c: 87.2 mA || a: 4.17 V b: 3.38 V c: 3.28 V || a: 510 mA b: 240 mA c: 250 mA d: 490 mA || a: 4.45 V b: 3.38 V c: 3.28 V || a. 175.5 mA b. 90.1 mA c. 88.5 mA d. 176.2 mA || a: 4.43 V b: .54 V c: .99 V d: 1.20 V e: .96 V f: 4.06 V || a: 143.1 mA b: 141.5 mA c: 144.1 mA d: 135.9 mA e: 144.4 mA || a: 4.28 V b: 4.08 V c: 4.14 V d: 3.92 V e: 4.08 V || a: 330 mA b: 78.1 mA c: 78.8 mA d: 85.1 mA e: 87.1 mA ||
 * DATA TABLE:**
 * Circuit || Measuring Pressure Difference || Measuring Flow Rate ||
 * A || [[image:Screen_shot_2011-10-26_at_2.36.35_PM.png width="218" height="135"]]
 * B || [[image:Screen_shot_2011-10-26_at_2.39.16_PM.png width="192" height="118"]]
 * C || [[image:Screen_shot_2011-10-26_at_2.46.22_PM.png width="173" height="120"]]
 * D || [[image:Screen_shot_2011-10-26_at_2.49.10_PM.png width="199" height="130"]]
 * E || [[image:Screen_shot_2011-11-03_at_12.16.48_AM.png]]
 * F || [[image:Screen_shot_2011-11-03_at_9.32.27_PM.png]]
 * G || [[image:Screen_shot_2011-11-03_at_9.34.39_PM.png]]
 * H || [[image:Screen_shot_2011-11-03_at_9.36.53_PM.png]]


 * ANALYSIS:**


 * DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:**

Overall, I can conclude that the rules for the values of pressure difference and current differ when talking about series vs. parallel currents. I found out that in series circuits, the current is identical in all parts of the circuit. This is because the charge flow at the rate of the highest resistance. In parallel circuits, the currents of the branches all must add up to the current of the trunk wire. In series circuits, the pressure differences over the resistors (bulbs) must add up to the pressure difference across the batteries. In parallel circuits, the pressure differences across each branch is identical to the pressure difference across the batteries.
 * CONCLUSION:**


 * 22. True/False**

=10/27/11 - 11/9/11 (Part 3)=
 * Part 3: Quantitative Analysis of Electric Circuits**


 * 1. Guide Questions #1-6**


 * 2. Summarize Lesson 2: Electric Current (Method 4)**


 * 3. Guide Questions #7-14**


 * 4. Summarize Lesson 3: Electrical Resistance (Method 4)**


 * 5. Text Problems (HW Notebook)**


 * 6. Experiment: What is the relationship between potential difference and current?**


 * PURPOSE:** The goal of the experiment is to determine the relationship between potential difference (pressure difference) and current using an ammeter to measure values for current using different resistors. The pressure difference will change for each trial.


 * HYPOTHESIS:** When resistance is at a constant and the potential difference is increased, the current will be directly proportional to the potential difference due to our previous investigation in Part 1. We saw that when we added batteries, the lights got brighter, which means the current increased.


 * DIAGRAM OF SET-UP:**

1. Set up circuit using a variable power supply, resistor, ammeter, and wires. 2. Set the power supply at an original voltage. 3. Complete the circuit and take note of the values of current. 4. Repeat these steps for another resistor, a round bulb, and a long bulb.
 * PROCEDURE:**


 * DATA TABLE:**


 * GRAPH:**

(Using data from Resistor 1)
 * CALCULATIONS/ANALYSIS:**

(Using data from Resistor 1)

As seen by the graph, the data for the two resistors had linear fits. The slopes for these two lines, which are the actual resistances, were very close to their theoretical resistances. These slopes were calculated by dividing the y values by the x values, which is voltage divided by current. Due to a possible issue in excel, my group was not able to fit the data of the round bulb and long bulb to power fits. This possibly caused an issue in the slopes of the lines on the graph. Despite this issue, one can see from our data table that we achieved fairly good results for the actual resistances of the round and long bulbs. The actual resistances wqere fairly close to the theoretical resistances.

(Work for #5)
 * DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:**

Overall, one can from our data table and graphs that my hypothesis was correct. For both resistors, the round bulb, and the long bulb, as we increased the voltage in the circuit using the power supply, the current in the series circuit increased. For example, when performing trials using resistor 1, our voltage values were 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The values for the current for these trials were 0, .0142, .0274, .041, .0538, and .0689, respectively. This shows that pressure difference and current are, in fact, directly proportional. The error in our lab was very sporadic. For some trials, we had very low error, as seen in resistor 1, however, in other trials, our error was a bit high. One source of error could have been the ammeter we were using. When we would complete the circuit, the ammeter would start to chow us values for the current. It was not unusual for the ammeter to have values that fluctuated greatly. We would try to let the ammeter reach a constant position but this often did not occur. In the interest of time, we would make a good guess at what the current was. This definitely was a very big contributor in most of the error. In order to correct this error, it would be very convenient to use a more accurate device to measure the current, however, this is probably unreasonable. In the future, it we possibly would have let the ammeter sit in the completed circuit for a little longer, the ammeter might have given us more accurate results. A real-life application of this concept of voltage, current and resistance can be seen in our houses. Every house has a circuit board that has certain resistors that help to cut down the voltage from the main power lines. The charge is then moving at the correct current to power our houses correctly. We also recently, when many houses had no electricity, the main power supply was cut off. As a result, the appliances and lights in many of our houses did not work. This is similar to when we put the voltage at 0 for a few trials. We saw that the current for these trials was 0, meaning that the charges were not moving.
 * CONCLUSION:**


 * 7. Optional Gizmo**


 * 8. Guide Questions #24-28**


 * 9. Summarize Lesson 4: Circuit Connections (Method 4)**


 * 10. Text Problems (HW Notebook)**


 * 11. Optional Gizmo**


 * 12. Guide Question #29**


 * 13. Text Problems (HW Notebook)**


 * 14. Optional Gizmo**


 * 15. Guide Questions #30-38**


 * 16. Text Problems (HW Notebook)**


 * 17. LAB: Kirchoff's Rules: How do currents split in multi-loop circuits?**

The purpose of this lab is to determine how the currents split in circuits that have multiple loops. We will do this by finding the voltage and currents in multiple circuits.
 * PURPOSE:**

I believe that when the charge reaches a junction in the circuit, the current will split up. These split parts will add up to the current prior to entering the junction. The charge will follow the junction rule. In addition, I believe that the circuits will follow the loop rule as well. The total voltage drops throughout the circuit will equal the total voltage gains in the batteries/power supplies.
 * HYPOTHESIS:**

1. Set up the 4 circuits seen below using resistors, wires, batteries/power supplies, and multimeters. Circuit A
 * PROCEDURE:**

Circuit B

Circuit C

Circuit D

2. Draw a schematic diagram for each circuit. (Seen in "Schematic Diagram" section) 3. Using a multimeter, measure the voltage and current values for each resistor and power source. These are the experimental values. 4. Using the values for the resistors, calculate the theoretical values for the current in each resistor and power source. Then, after finding the currents, calculate the theoretical voltages for each circuit using V=IR (Ohm's Law). 5. Calculate the percent error for the voltages and currents in each resistor/ power source.

Circuit A
 * SCHEMATIC DIAGRAMS:**

Circuit B

Circuit C

Circuit D


 * DATA/ANALYSIS:**

Other Sample Calculations
 * CALCULATIONS:**


 * DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:**

Overall, I can conclude that my hypothesis was, for the most part, correct. At the junction points, the charge would split causing some of the current to go one way, while some of the current went the other way. I saw, through many trials, that the two resulting currents were often close to adding up to the current prior to entering the junction. It was also evident that when charge entered a junction point, most of the charge would go toward the direction of lower resistance. This was an idea that was proven in an earlier investigation, however, it was once again seen in this lab as well. I can also conclude that in all of the circuits, the voltage that was lost through each of the resistors was equal to the original voltage in the power supply. This was true for the many loops of the circuits as well.
 * CONCLUSION:**

The error seen in my data was not consistent for every trial. For some trials, there was very little error, while in other trials, the error was a bit too high. One possible source of error was the multimeter we used. When the multimeter was put into the circuit and the circuit was completed, the readings on the meter would often fluctuate greatly. Rather than sitting for a long period of time to wait for it to stop moving, we would often try to take a good guess at what the measurement was. This was generally pretty accurate, however, on a few occasions, this could have possibly messed up my data. Another possible source of error was the failure to take in all the possible sources of resistance in the circuits. Without taking in all the possible sources of resistance, this could have caused the currents to be higher than they should have been.

One way to correct these sources of error would be to use a more accurate multimeter, however this would be very expensive. We could also have taken a longer time to measure the voltages and currents. One real life application that uses many loops in a circuit would be our homes. Our houses get most of their power from the main power lines outside and then this power goes to many parts of the house through parallel circuits. This idea is very similar to what we worked with in this lab.