SERIES AND PARALLEL

CIRCUIT LAB

Phimchanok Eakkaparksawat

Praewa 1108

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Question
How do relationships among current, potential difference, and resistance compare in series
and parallel circuits?

Objective
In this experiment it contains mainly four points in focus. Firstly, describe the relationship
among current, potential difference, and resistance in a series circuit. Secondly, summarize the
relationship among current, potential difference, and resistance in a parallel circuit. Thirdly, collect
data for current and potential difference using electric meters. Lastly, calculate resistance in a
lightbulb from current and potential difference data.

Materials
The equipment required in the experiment contains: low voltage power supply (any is fine just
mention), two light sockets (10 ohm each: any is fine) , two small light bulbs, ammeter or multimeter
(0–500-mA scale), voltmeter or multimeter (0–30-V scale) and about ten copper wires with alligator
clips.

Procedure

1. Wire two lightbulb sockets in series with an ammeter and a low-voltage power supply.
Observe the correct polarity when wiring the ammeter.

2. Screw the lightbulbs into the sockets. Turn on the power supply. Adjust the power control
so that the bulbs are dimly lit.

3. Unscrew one of the bulbs. Record your observations in the data table.

4. Screw in the bulb again and find the potential difference across both sets of bulbs by
placing the positive probe of the voltmeter on the positive end of the circuit and the negative
probe on the negative end of the circuit. Record your data in the data table.

5. Find the potential difference across each individual light bulb by placing the positive probe
of the voltmeter on the positive end of a bulb and the negative probe on the negative end of
the bulb. Record your data in the data table. Repeat for the other bulb in series.

6. Place the ammeter at various locations in the series circuit. Record these currents in the
data table.

7. Wire the two lightbulb sockets in parallel with the low-voltage power supply and in series
with an ammeter.

8. Screw the lightbulbs into the sockets. Turn on the power supply. Adjust the power
control so that the bulbs are dimly lit. Record the current shown on the ammeter in the data
table.
9. Check the potential difference across the entire circuit and across each lightbulb. Record
the values in the data table.
10. Place the voltmeter probes across one of the lightbulbs. Now unscrew one of the
lightbulbs. Record your observations of both lightbulbs, and record the current and
potential difference read by the meters in the data table.
11. Return the lightbulb you removed in the previous step to its socket. Now unscrew the
other lightbulb. Record your observations of both lightbulbs, and record the current and
potential difference read by the meters in the data table.

Data table

Step Observations

- Current: 0.3 A
- Voltage : 6 V
- The lightbulb shines not as bright when we lower the voltage on the
battery.
3

In step 3, by unscrewing one of the light bulbs I can see that the current of the
entire circuit turns to 0 A due to the disconnect of wires. Before the unscrew , the
current stood at 0.45 A but now down to 0 A. However, the voltage and the
resistance stays the same and is not affected by the disconnection.

- Voltage: 9 V
- Current : 0.00 A

- By reconnecting the wire, the current becomes 0.45 A with the voltage on
the battery of 9.00 V. We could vividly see how the two light bulbs are
lighted up when all the circuits are connected.
- When we measure the voltage across two light bulbs it is still 9 V which is
the same as the battery.

- Voltage: 9 V
- Current: 0.45 A
5

This was to check whether the amount of voltage in each lightbulb (resistor) are the
same. Which in this case , both resistors are 10 ohms. By checking the two and
comparing,both results are exactly the same which is 4.5 V. Showing that the
voltage of both the resistors in this circuit with the same amount of resistance ( 10
ohm each) resulted in the same voltage.

1st light bulb:

- Voltage : 4.5 V
- Current : 0.45 A
2nd light bulb :
- Voltage : 4.5 V
- Current : 0.45 A

By observing this part of procedure, it

is seen that in the early part of the circuit the current is the same. In this case, the
current throughout this circuit stood at 0.45 A entirely.

- Current : 0.45 A
7

In this procedure, the lightbulbs were put into sockets. The result shown on the
virtual lab is that the current increased to 1.8 A from 0.45 A at first.

- Current: 1.8 A
- Voltage : 9 V
9

The potential difference checked in this

procedure shows the same amount across the circuit at 9.00 V. Therefore, this
could be said that the voltage throughout the circuit is the same entirely.

1st bulb:
- Voltage : 9 V
- Current : 1.8 A
2nd bulb
- Voltage : 9 V
- Current : 1.8 A
10

By unscrewing one of the lightbulbs this time the current doesn’t change to zero but
to 0.9 A which is somehow a half of 1.8 A when connected. Also, the other light
bulbs were not affected like the series but in parallel circuit it lights up normally
because it separates and is not affected by each other.

- Current: 0.9 A
- Voltage: 9 V
 11

The observations in this last part are similar to the procedure 10. The light bulb that
was unscrewed does not have an effect on another lightbulb. The other light bulbs
that are connected still lit up. However, the amount of current turns to 0.9 A just
like in procedure 10, it is half of the entire parallel circuit which is 1.8 A.

- Voltage : 9 V
- Current : 0.9 A

Analyze

1) Find resistance of the pair of lightbulbs in series circuit.

a) Calculation: R (total resistance) =? , R1= 10 ohm , R2= 10 ohms
Formula: R1+R2= R (total resistance)
- R = 10 ohm + 10 ohm = 20 ohm
R ( total resistance) = 20 Ohm

2) Find the resistance of each lightbulb in the series circuit.

a) Calculation: V1= 4.5 v , V2= 4.5 v, I = 0.45 A
Formula: V=IR
- R1 = V1/ I
R1 = 4.5/0.45
R1= 10 ohm
- R2 = V2/ I
R2 = 4.5/0.45
R2 = 10 ohm
 3) How does the resistance of the pair of light- bulbs compare to the individual resistance of
each lightbulb?

The resistance of the pair of lightbulbs or as we may call it total resistance in this case is
equal to the sum of two light bulbs. According to the equation of series circuit, R ( total
resistance) = R1 + R2 … , therefore, resistance of the pair of lightbulbs = sum of both
resistance.

4) How does the potential difference across the individual lightbulbs compare to the potential
difference across the pair of lightbulbs in the series circuit?

Due to the formula V=IR, this could be used to explain the question. In this case we can
calculate the potential difference across the pair of lightbulbs by calculating V1/R1= I1 and V2/R2 =
I2. By summing the result together we would get the total potential difference. This could be
concluded that, the sum of potential differences across each lightbulb equals the total potential
differences across the pair in series circuit.

5) Find the resistance of each of the light- bulbs while they are in the parallel circuit.
a) Calculate: R1= 10 ohm, R2= 10 ohm

Parallel : 1/R ( total resistance) = 1/ R1 + 1/R2 …..

- 1/R (total resistance) = 1/10 + 1/10 = ⅕

- To find R it self the denominator need to be at top
- 1/R = ⅕

R = 1/(⅕) = 5 ohms

b) How does this compare to the resistance calculated for the bulbs in the series circuit?

The total resistance received in the series circuit resulted in 20 ohms while in parallel
circuit we received only 5 ohms. We could conclude that the total resistance in the
form of a series circuit is much higher than when connected in parallel.

Conclude and apply

To recapitulate , in series circuit, the sum of all the resistance in the circuit would be equal to
the total resistance of the circuit itself.Moreover, the potential differences of the battery or any existing
power supplies used will be equal to the potential differences of each resistor. Also, the current
throughout the circuit would remain the same.

Moving on to parallel circuits, its potential differences is the same for each resistor used. In
addition, The total resistance in parallel circuits will be lower than series due to its formula1/R = 1/R1
+ 1/R2 and so on. Lastly, by adding each current of every resistor together the sum that we receive
will equal to the total current flowing within the circuit.