Shantelle Williams

Form 5 Ramkhalawan
Physics
Lab #: 10
Title: Parallel Circuit Plan And Design
Problem Statement: Joseph was outing a set of light on a Christmas tree. The circuit was

composed of three chains of light in parallel. When one chain of lights blew, the other chains

seemed to light as brightly as before.

Plan and design an experiment to determine how the varying number of light bulbs placed in

parallel affect the current in each branch and the total current in the circuit.

Hypothesis: The more bulbs are added to the circuit, the less total resistance the circuit will

have and more total current it will have.

Aim: plan and design an experiment to determine the effects the number of bulbs have on the

total current of a parallel circuit

Theory: A parallel circuit is an electrical circuit designed to with several different paths for

the electricity passing through it to travel. Each parallel circuit starts with two or more

connected components, each of the components require two electrical contacts, wires, and

conduction paths for example.

Voltage is the force responsible for making the electrical force move, current is the

movement of this electrical charge over time. Resistance measures how much a component

opposes the current passing through it. In a parallel circuit the current and charge gets divided

up equally among each branch so that the product of charge and resistance of each branch

becomes the same.

When a new branch is added to a parallel circuit, the current is given an additional path to

take. Despite whatever resistance the new branch has, when it is added the total resistance of

the circuit will decrease and the total current will increase. Likewise, when branches are

removed the total resistance increases while the total current decreases.

Put diagram here

Apparatus and Materials:

 2 batteries

 Battery holders (optional)

 Alligator wires

 Multimeter

 Ammeter

 3 small bulbs

 Bulb holders (optional)

Method:

1) Check to ensure that all wires, batteries and bulbs are working.

2) Assemble your circuit as instructed using both batteries but only one bulb. This will

be circuit one.

3) Measure the total resistance (using multimeter) and total voltage (using voltmeter) of

Circuit one.

4) Calculate the current of that circuit branch and record findings in a table.

5) Add another branch onto the circuit using another branch, find the voltage and the

resistance then calculate the current of that branch. Label this Circuit two

6) Using the final bulb add another branch to the circuit, find the voltage and the

resistance then calculate the current of that branch. Label this Circuit three.

7) Find the average current.

Variables: Controlled: - Total current

- The amount of Voltage

- The use of identical bulbs

 Manipulated: - the number of branches in each circuit

Responding: - The average Current

Precautions: - Ensure that all wires are working

-Ensure that all apparatus used is connected to one another

Expected Results: Table Showing Results Of Circuit Lab

Circuits Voltage + 0 (v) Resistance + 0 (R) Current + 0

Circuit 1

Circuit 2

Circuit 3

Average

Expected Calculations: Finding current of a branch:

Current = Voltage / Resistance = V1 ⁒ R1= C1

Average Current:

C1 + C2+ C3 / 3

Assumptions: - The resistance of the branches will decrease the more bulbs are added

- The current of the branches will increase the more bulbs are

added

Sources Of Error/Limitations:

1) The overuse of the circuit causing heat build up

2) The equipment being old and faulty causing incorrect or inaccurate results.