Current Electricity Blobz Guide to Electricity www andythelwell

Current Electricity

Blobz Guide to Electricity www. andythelwell. com/blobz Please finish filling in the blanks on your worksheets. When you have completed all 5 quizzes and received 5 stars please show me!

Current Electricity • When electricity or electric charges move, it is called current electricity • An electric circuit is electricity that flows in a loop

Electric Circuits • It has 3 main parts: – A power source (Battery) – A material to conduct the electricity (wires) – A resistor or something to use the energy (ex: Light bulb) • These parts are called “Components” • If you don’t have a resistor or something to use the energy you have a “short circuit”

Component Symbols Chart Cell Wire Light Open Switch Closed Switch Voltmeter Ammeter Resistor Motor Buzzer

Electric Current • Electric current always flows from the negative end of the battery to the positive end of the battery

Series/Parallel Circuits – Series Circuit: an electric circuit in which the electrical loads are wired to one another in a single path (ie: race cars on a race track- only one way to go)

Parallel Circuits – Parallel Circuit: an electric circuit in which each electrical load is connected to the energy source by its own separate path or branch (ie: cars in the city have multiple paths to get to their destination)

Electric Circuits Simulation • Go to phet. colorado. edu • Search Circuit Construction Kit (HTML 5) • Work to build different types of circuits that include different components (Switch, Battery, Light bulb, Resistors) • Attempt to build circuits with: – more than one light bulb, – more than one battery, – more than one path to the battery, – switches to control individual light bulbs

Electric Circuits Lab • You will be working in groups of 4: • Each group will receive: - 1 Battery 2 Light bulbs/ Holders 5 Alligator Clips Switch

Procedure- PART 1 • AS A GROUP, you must complete the following: – – Have 1 and only 1 bulb connected and lit Have 2 bulbs connected and lit at the same time Make a circuit using the switch Have 1 of 2 bulbs light • When you have your circuit set up- raise your hand to have it checked, then draw your solution to the problem on your lab sheet * Be sure to use your component symbols, label each component and indicate the flow of electrons*

Procedure- PART 2 • After you have completed the first part with diagrams, you will receive directions for part 2 • Set up your components as shown in the circuit diagrams and answer the questions on the worksheet (AS A GROUP)

Series and Parallel Circuits • What did you notice about the light bulbs set up in series? Why do you think that is? • What did you notice about the light bulbs set up in parallel? Why do you think that is?