Series and Parallel Circuits Laboratory Experiments for Physics Students, Lab Reports of Physics

Download Series and Parallel Circuits Laboratory Experiments for Physics Students and more Lab Reports Physics in PDF only on Docsity! Phys 132L Spring 2008 Laboratory 7: Series and Parallel Circuits 1 Bulbs in Series and Parallel: Qualitative Observations The following exercises and demonstrations consider circuits which contain bulbs connected in various arrangements. Your predictions will all be qualitative and rely on the fact that, for identical bulbs the brightness increases when the current through the bulb increases. Assume that all the bulbs involved in the following circuits are identical. a) Consider the illustrated circuit. Predict the brightnesses of the bulbs (in comparison to each other) when the switch is closed. Explain how you reached your predictions. This is an example of a short circuit. A B b) Predict how the brightness of through bulb A compares to that of bulb B when the switch is open. Explain your prediction. c) Predict how the brightness of bulb A when the switch is open compares to that of bulb A when the switch is closed. Justify your prediction. d) Build the circuit and check whether your predictions are correct (for both switch open and closed). e) Consider the illustrated circuit. Predict the bright- nesses of the bulbs (in comparison to each other) when the switch is open. A B f) Predict how the brightness of bulb A compares to that of bulb B when the switch is closed. Explain your prediction. g) Predict how the brightness of bulb A when the switch is open compares to that of bulb A when the switch is closed. Explain your prediction. h) Build the circuit and check whether your predictions are correct (for both switch open and closed). i) Predict how brightness of through bulb A in the series circuit of part (a) (with switch closed) compares to that of bulb A in the parallel circuit of part (e) (with 2