Activity: Going with the current

ATL
l Critical-thinking skills: Evaluate evidence and arguments; Draw reasonable conclusions
and generalizations
l Collaboration skills: Listen actively to other perspectives and ideas. Build consensus.

Criterion C: Processing and Evaluating

How dose current flow in a circuit? In this experiment you will measure the amount of current
flowing at different points in two different kinds of circuit

Inquiry: To measure the electric current at different places in a circuit.

Method:
Build the circuits as shown in Figure 9.10 and Figure 9.11. The circuits are shown as pictures,
but also as circuit diagrams.
Hypothesis
Will the current be different in different parts of the circuit, or the same?
Explain what makes you think this.

Make sure that you connect the energy source and the ammeters the correct way around –
the ammeters should not read less than zero amps!

Press the on-off switches and observe what happens to the bulbs, Note down your
observations.

Place an ammeter in the circuit next to each of the switches. (Each time you should disconnect
the switch, insert the ammeter, and then reconnect the circuits.)

Measure the current at each switch using the ammeter.

Results
Organize your observations of the effects of switches and measurements of electric current
in a suitable table.
Share your data with other groups and compare.

Conclusion
Can you see any patterns? What is happening to the flow of electric current in each circuit?
Evaluate the hypothesis you made now that you have results.

The first kind of circuit is called a series circuit because the devices in the circuit come one
after another in a line or series. The second kind of circuit branches and the loads are placed
beside each other in parallel.

Summary the properties for each type of circuit, series and parallel and write it down.