9 El y > 9.2 Current and voltage in parallel circuits Peers (erent Work in pairs to discuss answers to these questions. battery rating supply voltage voltmeter 1 Name the particles that flow inside wires when current flows. 2 What happens to the speed of these particles as current, 3 State the unit of currant. volts:9.2 Current and voltage in parallel cicuits What is voltage? Voltage is linked to the electrical energy in a circuit. Voltage is measured in units called volts. The symbol for yolts is V. Voltage is related to the electrical energy supplied to a circuit by the call, battery oF power supply. Voltage is linked (o energy, but itis not the same as enerey. ‘Most cells supply 1.5 V. A battery is two or more cells connected in series. Batteries commonly supply 6 V, 9 Y or 12 V. Each of the cells or batteries inthis picture has a different voltage. The sockets found on the walls of buildings supply a mains Lo ME voltage. Mains in this context means an electrical supply that ‘comes from a power station or generator of some kind. In most countries the mains voltage is between 220 and 240 V. In some countries, the mains voltage is 110 or 120 V. The next Picture shows some mains sockets from different countries ei Sometimes, we refer tothe souree of energy ina circuit as the supply. The supply could be a call, battery, a power supply or the mains. WR ‘This diagram shows circuit symbols for a battery made from two cells, ‘a battery made from many cells, and a 240 V mains supply. 4 be | Eb Voltage is also linked to the energy changed by components in a circuit, For example, lamps change eleettieal energy into light and thermal ‘energy. Most components have a voltage rating. 0 nvo— The lamps used in schools for electrical experiments are often rated at 3-Vor66 ¥. The rating tells us the maximum voltage that can be used. Measuring voltage Voltage is measured using a voltmeter. This picture shows a digital voltmeter, an analogue ‘voltmeter and the cireuit symbol fora voltmeter. ‘A voltmeter is eonnected in a different way to an ‘ammeter. An ammeter measures the current flowing through a ‘component, so the ammeter is eonnected in series with the component, av)9 Electricity > ‘The voltmeter measures the energy difference either side of a component, 50 the voltmeter is connected in parallel with the component. Look at the drawing of the circuit and circuit diagram. e ammeter is connected in series with the lamp and the voltmeter is connected in parallel with the lamp. Voltage in a series circuit Energy is always conserved, so the energy changed by the components in a circuit must be equal to the energy supplied by the cell, battery or power supply. ‘That means the voltages across each component in a series circuit must add up to the voltage of the supply. Look at the eircuit in thi identical. They change the same quantity of energy, so have the same voltage. The voltage aeross all the lamps adds up am. All three lamps are to the voltage from the battery. Look at this next circuit, where the components are not the same, {In this circuit, the lamp is changing more enerey than the buzzer, so the voltage across the lamp is higher than the buzzer. The voltages across the lamp and buzzer add up to the voltage of the battery. ov 2 310 > La]9.2 Current and voltage in parallel cicuits The voltages across all the components ina series circuit add up to the voltage of the supply. We discovered at Stage 7 that the current is the same all the way around «a series cireuit. This is because the eireuit has no branches and the ‘current can only flow in one path. The volta different aeross different components. Adding more components in a series circuit The voltage from the supply in a series circuits shared between each of the components That means adding components such as lamps or bbuzzers will cause each component to get a smaller share of the voltage. Compare these two series ciouits Both have the same typeof battery and both fave identical lamps, v v i i 61°) [2 2%2) Adding more components in a series circuit will deerease the current. ‘As components are added, it becomes more difficult for the power supply to push the electrons around the circuit Compare these two series circuits, The one with more components has @ smaller current. an >Adding more cells in series circuit increases the voltage of the supply. ‘One 1.5 V cell gives a supply voltage of 1.5 V. Two 1.9 V cells gives supply voltage of 2 x 1.5 V= 3. A12V battery contains eight cellseach of 1.5 V making 8 x 1.5V=12V. Increasing the number of cells in the same series circuit will: ‘+ increase the eurrent in the cireuit ‘+ increase the voltage across each component. Voltage in a parallel circuit Look carefully at the drawing of a paralle! circuit. Lamp 1 is connected directly actoss the terminals cof the 1.5 V cell, The voltage across lamp 1 is 1.5 V, If you follow the wires from lamp 2, you can got to the terminals of the cell wivhou going through lamp 1. That means we can think of lamp 2 also being connected directly across the terminals of the cell, That means the voltage across lamp 2 is also 1.5 V. The voltages across each of the branches of a parallel circuit are equal to the voltage of the supply. Look at these cirouit diagrams, 4 w tr Hie — wv 2 ‘The voltage of the battery in both circuits is 9 V. In the left circuit, the voltage across cach lamp is also 9 V. Look at the right circuit and you will see that the voltage across the ‘branches of a parallel circuit is the same whether or not the components, ‘are the same. The lamp and the burzer are different, but the voltage ‘across the branches is still the same (9 V). ‘Topic 9.1 explained that the eurrent can be different in the branches of ‘a paralte citeuit. ‘This is beeause the current can flow in different paths ‘The voltage in al branches of a parallel circuit is the same. 32>9.2 Current and voltage in parallel cicuits Adding more components in a parallel circuit Adding more branches toa parallel circuit gives more paths forthe current to Mow through. The more paths there ate for eurvent to flow throush, the casir it hecames That means the current though the cell inereases ‘Compare these two parallel circuits. Each has the same {1-4 | type of battery and the lamps are identical. ' @ ' Adding more components to any one branch of @ wie 8) 28 ppaallel circuit will decrease the current in that branch Remember that the voltage seross any branch will be ‘the same, so adding more components inthe branch makes it harder for current to flow in that branch, Adding cells toa parallel eireuitinereases the supply voltage soit also increases the voltage across each branch + increases the current through the cell ‘+ inereases the eurrent through each branch, Q) ‘Questions 1 Copy and complete the sentences using words from the list. series parallel current-voltage Anammeter is used to measure the .... through a component. ‘An ammeter should be conneeted in with the component. A voltmeter is used to measure the across a component. A voltmeter should be connected in. with the component. 2 Sofia wants to measure the current through a lamp and the voltage across the lamp. Which of these shows the correct way to do this? Write ome letter. a3)9 Electriel > 3 Asschool classroom has six identical lamps. Each of the lamps a0v is connected in parallel across 4 220 V mains supply, as shown in the diagram. ‘a State the voltage across one of the lamps in the diagram. t-—-8)— b The classroom has one light switch. The light switch is used to ‘witeh all of the lamps on or off together. Copy the diagram -—{&)— and include the switch in the correct position. © Thecurrent from the mains supply to all six lamps is 24 A. & i Calculate the current through one of the lamps ‘Two more lamps, identical to the other six, are added, each in a new separate branch of the parallel cire -—-&)— State what will happen to the total current from the mains supply when the new lamps are added. 4 — Mareus has a box containing ten identical lamps rated at 2.0 V. Healso has a 12 V battery. a Explain why Marcus eannot connect these lamps, each individually in parallel zeross the battery. b Marcus connects the lamps in series with the 12 V battery, i Calculate the number of these lamps that ean be connected in series to operate property. Draw the circuit diagram for these lamps connected in series with the battery. Add a voltmeter to your ei iagram to show how the voltage across one lamp could be measured. 5 Zara has.a series circuit with a 9 V battery, a lamp and a buzzer as ov shown in the diagram. Jr4 1 ‘The voltage across the lamp L, is 2 V. a Calculate the voltage across the buzzer, B.. b Zara adds another lamp, L,, in series with the other ‘components i State what happens to the voltage across L, when the new lamp is added. State what happens to the current in the circuit when the new lamp is added aa)Arun has a series cireuit with a 6 V battery, two identical buzzers and two identical lamps. ‘The voltage across one buzzer is 1 V. Calculate the voltage across one lamp. Arum adds another 6 V battery in series with the first battery. All the components continue to work properly. State the voltage aero: second battery is added. State the effect on the current in the circuit of adding the second battery. ne of the buzzers when theMeasuring voltage in a series circuit In this activity, you will measure the voltage across diferent components in a series circuit. You will need: + power supply, battery or cells, voltmeter, two or three lamps, another component = such as.a buzzer, switch, wires. connectors. Safety Do not exceed the voltage rating for any component. Your teachor will show you how many of each component to connect. Switch off before adding or removing any components. ‘Always ask your teacher before connecting any new component into your circuit. Method 1. Set up. series circuit as shown inthe diagram. sv 2 Connect the voltmeter across the battery {t ‘Measure and record this voltage. Do nt worry if the voltmeter reading is not the same as the value printed on the battery or the setting of the power supply. Use your voltage measurement. 3 Connect the voltmeter separately across each of the components. Measure and record these Voltages, u & 5 Questions 1. Draw the circuit diagram that you used. Label each of the components, for example, L, and L, for two lamps. 2 Draw the circuit diagram again and include the voltmeter in position across ‘one of the components to show how voltage is measured 3_Drawa suitable table for your voltage measurements and write the results into the table. 4 Explain what your results show about voltages in series circuits. 5 Ifyou have time and access to other components, you could make other sories circuits. Can you confirm that a similar trend in results can be observed in these? 316 >9.2 Current and voltage in parallel cicuits Thi a Measuring current in a parallel circuit In this investigation, you will investigate how the current through a battery dopends on the number of identical branches in a parall Mothod vf 4) Set up the circuit as shown inthe fist diagram, 2. Measure and record the current with one lamp. @ 3. Add another lamp in parallel with the first lamp as shown & in the second diagram. Measure and record the current with two lamps. Continuo ding lamps in paral, one at a timo. Do not | change the position of the ammeter. Measure and record nm ‘the current through the battery each time. Repeat each measurement two further times. Decide whether any more repeats are needed. 7 Calculate the average result for each set of measurements. oe ‘Questions 4. Record your results in a table. 2 Plota line graph of your results. Put the number of lamps on the X-axis and the current on the y-axis. Draw the most appropriate line. 3. 2 Describe the trend in the results. b What happens to the current when the number of lamps in parallel doubles? © Explain this trend. Use ideas about how current flows around a circuit. 4 Use your results to predict the current through the battery if you had eight lamps. in parallel ar)ity Ica measure current and voltage in series and parallel circuits. 7) Iknow how adding mare cells or more lamps affects curent and voltage in seros circuits. I know how adding more colle or more lamps affects current and voltage in parallel cuits.