Amman Baptist School Lab Report

International Programme Experiment

Name of the experiment:

Lab criteria:
1) Exploration
a) Research question:
_What is the difference between a circuit connected in parallel and a circuit
connected in series?
b) Background information
Electric Circuit: is the channel for transmitting electric current. An electric circuit consists of a
device that provides energy to the charged particles that make up current, such as a battery or a
generator; devices that use current, such as lamps, electric motors, or computers; and
connecting cables or transmission lines. Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's rules are two basic
principles that quantitatively describe the behavior of electric circuits. (The Editors of
Encyclopedia Britannica)

Series Circuit: Any conducting electrical pathway consisting of an electric circuit along which the
entire current goes through each component, is referred to as a series circuit. The total current
in a series circuit equals the current flowing through each resistor in the series. (“Series circuit |
Definition & Facts”)

Parallel Circuit: A parallel circuit is a group of electrical paths that split the current so that only a
portion of it passes through each branch. A parallel circuit has a constant voltage, or potential
difference, across every branch, even though the currents could change. For example, all lights
and appliances in a home electrical circuit have the same voltage delivered across them, but the
amount of current that each load uses varies based on how much power it needs. (“Parallel
circuit | Definition & Facts”)

Electrical Current: Electric current refers to any flow of charged particles that carry an electric
charge, such as protons carrying a positive charge and electrons carrying a negative charge.
(“Electric current | Formula & Definition”)

Voltage: The pressure that pushes electricity is voltage. A unit of measurement called the volt
(V) is used to represent voltage, and greater voltages allow more electricity to flow to an
electrical appliance. (“What is Voltage?”)

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 c) Hypothesis
A parallel circuit has the same voltage across each component, but a series circuit has the same
current across each component. As a result, if we build a parallel and a series circuit with
identical components and the same voltage, the total current drawn from the power source will
be greater in the parallel circuit than in the series circuit.
d) Methodology
1) Make sure you got all the materials needed.
2) Set up for the series circuit by connecting all the resistors in series.
3) Turn on the power supply and measure the current flowing through the circuit
with the ammeter. Make sure to also record your results
4) Set up for the parallel circuit by connecting all the resistors in parallel.
5) Turn on the power supply again and measure the current flowing through the
circuit with the ammeter. Make sure to also record your results.
6) Finally, compare the current measurements from the series and parallel
circuits. The current in the parallel circuit should be greater than in the series
circuit.

e) Materials
-Battery
-Identical resistors
-Wires
-Breadboard
-Ammeter

f) Safety issues
-Make sure the power is always off when you are preparing the circuits
-Never create a short circuit, because it can cause excessive current flow which can
lead to a fire.
-Make sure all connections are secure before turning on anything.

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 Evaluation:

a) Conclusion
In conclusion, a parallel circuit keeps the same voltage across all components while
dividing the current, however a series circuit divides the voltage but has the same
current flowing through all of its components. When the voltage is the same, the
total current consumed from the power supply in a parallel circuit is usually higher
than in a series circuit.
b) Strength
It is possible to examine and measure the immediate effects of series and parallel
circuits on voltage and current.
c) Weaknesses
The resistors used in the experiment may not have the specified resistance values.
This can have an impact on the comparisons with measured values.
d) Improvement
Using more accurate measuring tools to help reduce measurement mistakes.

Works Cited

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Electric circuit | Diagrams & Examples.” Britannica, 15

November 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/electric-circuit. Accessed 20 November

2023.

“Electric current | Formula & Definition.” Britannica, 20 October 2023,

https://www.britannica.com/science/electric-current. Accessed 20 November 2023.

“Parallel circuit | Definition & Facts.” Britannica, 29 September 2023,

https://www.britannica.com/technology/parallel-circuit. Accessed 20 November 2023.

“Series circuit | Definition & Facts.” Britannica, 10 November 2023,

https://www.britannica.com/technology/series-circuit. Accessed 20 November 2023.

“What is Voltage?” Hioki, https://www.hioki.com/sg-en/learning/electricity/voltage.html. Accessed 20

November 2023.