Teaching parallel and series circuits

This is a printable science worksheet for teaching students about static and current electricity. This electricity worksheet is about series and parallel circuits. Comparing series and parallel circuits a card sort activity to help students highlight and summarise the differences between series and parallel circuits. The idea for solving these types of circuits is to break down smaller parts of the circuit into series and parallel sections. Circuit construction kit series of three activitites inquiry based using phet in electricity unit. Mar 18, 2015 okay, here is the worksheet i had for my series and parallel class. Students will work hard to memorize the rules without really comprehending why the rules are true, and therefore often fail to recall or apply the rules properly.

We went through multiple examples where the students had to show with their fingers how many paths there were. First youll get a working knowledge of the components of a circuit, including the power source, terminals, and switch. Previous reading in series and parallel circuits should be assigned. Andersen contrasts series and parallel electrical circuits. Here, simple ideas about electricity are applied to circuits that have real applications. Other instructors use this as an activity later in the topic to assess understanding. They identify which is which and provide justification for their choices. Series and parallel ac circuits worksheet ac electric. Series parallel circuit voltage worksheet by fdedat teaching from series and parallel circuits worksheet, source voltage in series and parallel circuits by lrcathcart teaching from series and parallel circuits worksheet, source. Students perform experiments using two different types of circuit arrangements. A microprocessor, known as a central processing unit or a cpu, is a type of integrated circuit that works as a complete computation engine. An introduction on how to teach the basics of parallel and series circuits, including how to do a simple lab on the difference between parallel and series circuits for light bulbs. Seriesparallel dc circuits worksheet dc electric circuits.

If students have access to calculators that can do complexnumber arithmetic, the complex approach is actually simpler for seriesparallel combination circuits, and it yields richer more informative results. Students will work hard to memorize the rules without really comprehending. The link between voltage and energy transfers leads to ideas about energy and power. In this circuits an ohms law worksheet, students read about the differences between series and parallel circuits.

Dont skip straight to series and parallel circuits. The most common analogies in dealing with electrical circuits are those involving the flow of water, where the current is the volume of water in motion through a point in unit time, and the voltage is the pressure of the flow, for example due to a. Rules of series and parallel circuits are very important for students to comprehend. A very superficial definition of quality factor q is given and only for the series circuit. Series and parallel circuits activities teach kids about paths electricity can take. Two components are in series if they share a common node and if the same. However some pupils will probably still be unwittingly harbouring some misconceptions, for example in the area of potential differences in parallel circuits, so be prepared to test, rather than to assume knowledge. In a series circuit, the parts of the circuit are in a row, one after the other so current flows through them. They must flip the switch and decide how the lights are wired. Tinkering with batteries and bulbs helps kids understand electrical energy. A complete circuit can be constructed in more than one way using the same materials. Simple circuits provide an essential step in learning about electricity. Teaching series and parallel circuits activities for kids.

Current in series and parallel ciruits quiz teaching. Series and parallel circuits lesson plan template and teaching resources. Tell students that today they will use a simulation to build and explore series and parallel circuits. In a series circuit, the current remains constant and voltagedrops add together and in a parallel circuit the currents add together and voltagedrops are constant. Plan your 60minute lesson in resistance or circuits electricity with helpful tips from jameson parker. Cut out guided notes for both series and parallel circuits key included venn diagram with cut outs for comparing series and parallel circuits key included worksheet with 12 questions which can be used for classworkhomeworkquiz key. Loose wires, worn out batteries, dead light bulbs and missw. Simple circuits such as the ones karen demonstrates are an easy way to learn about the difference between simple and parallel circuits. Students determine the rules that govern voltages and currents of series and parallel circuits. Electrical circuits are mighty important but how do they work. Parallel and perpendicular teaching pack year 3 identify.

In parallel circuits, each independent path experiences the same voltage drop. The document contains all the teaching points necessary for students to successfully complete the webquest. Conservation laws charge and energy lead directly to kirchhoffs laws and these in turn. Series and parallel circuits series and parallel circuits guided notes and worksheets. These may also be distributed as homework reading on the night prior to the activity. Dec 05, 2014 there is a power component like a battery or some other electric source that gives force to electrons to move.

I begin by displaying the circuit a and b diagram on the board. Current electricity, series circuits, physics, current electricity, science, physics, key stage 3, science, secondary ks3 teaching resources, ks3 reso. Comparing series and parallel circuits teachit science. Be sure to check out our entire collection of electricity worksheets. Thats the key difference between series and parallel series circuits defined. Series and parallel circuits the easy way, and bundled to boot. Jan 17, 2020 series and parallel circuits activities teach kids about paths electricity can take. Parallel and series circuits lab resource is suitable for 6th 12th grade. I then provide time for the students to construct each circuit and to record their observations on their lab worksheet.

An instructional guide introduces concepts including parallel and series circuits, switches, conductive materials, circuit drawings, and electrical testing. This tool calculates the overall resistance value for multiple resistances connected either in series or in parallel. Series and parallel circuits guided notes and worksheets. Bigger voltage drops draw a larger current, which means more electrons flow through the bulb, making it brighter. Electricity series and parallel circuits ks4gcse physics teaching resources. Jul 14, 2016 series and parallel circuits lesson plan template and teaching resources. Series and parallel circuits ppt gcse physics teaching.

Conservation laws charge and energy lead directly to kirchhoffs laws and these in turn provide a method for. Different types of electric circuits show different behaviors parallel and simple circuits. Instead of reading about circuits, let your students build them. Conversion calculator parallel and series resistor digikey. Some circuits contain series and parallel components.

Series and parallel circuits super teacher worksheets. This is a powerpoint for series and parallel circuits which is found in topic 2. Components connected in parallel have identical voltage, but different current. The author uses this activity as a motivating demonstration at the beginning of the teaching of multiresistance dc circuits. A simulation is used to visualize electron flow through both circuit types. The physics classroom has prepared four different activity sheets to accompany dc circuit builder. A very complicated circuit that combines thousands to millions of parallel and series circuits working together is called an integrated circuit see figure 1. Ks4 electricity series and parallel circuits teachit. Can you infer the wiring diagram of a series of lights based on their behavior alone. A simple and classic exploration in how to make a light bulb illuminate. First do any sections that have only series resistors. Compare and contrast series, parallel and combination circuits. Add resistors, light bulbs, wires and ammeters to build a circuit, explore ohms law. Sneed plans series and parallel circuits activities.

Download the introduction to circuits featuring karen in ebooks. In a series circuit, all components are connected endtoend to form a single path for electrons to flow. The series and parallel circuits activity encourages students to. Components connected in series have identical current, but different voltage. Teaching rlc parallel circuits in highschool physics class 35 volume 8 number 4, 2015 there is no information about the halfpower frequencies and bandwidths. Students draw arrows to show the path of electricity in the series and parallel circuits. This is a webquest for teaching parallel and series circuits. Eisco labs basic beginner circuit kit for teaching series. Current in series and parallel ciruits quiz teaching resources. Okay, here is the worksheet i had for my series and parallel class. Science education products incorporate applied math and science principles into classroom and homeschoolbased projects. Circuits can be connected in either series or parallel. Simple circuits ones with only a few components are usually fairly straightforward for beginners to understand.

Series and parallel what do you do when you have a circuit with both parallel and series resistors. Jan 15, 2020 simple circuits provide an essential step in learning about electricity. But, things can get sticky when other components come to the party. In the next picture, we again see three resistors and a battery. Do all this without the fear of being electrocuted as long as you dont use your computing device in the bath tub. Electrical circuits series and parallel for kids youtube. Switch to series and parallel capacitor calculator parallel resistor. Students compare a set up of series and parallel bulbs, make predictions about how the circuit will function, record results, and discuss the circuits as a group. In this brainpop movie, tim and moby introduce you to the basics of what electrical circuits are all about. Where series components all have equal currents running through them, parallel components all have the same voltage drop across them series. For series circuits, the voltage drop is split between the components lights, for example depending on their resistances. These misconceptions may well become apparent when teaching.

Here is a printable science worksheet that is great for teaching students about static and current electricity. Do you have any good analogies to share for teaching the. Our lesson was to be able to tell the difference between the two series has one path for the electricity to flow, whereas parallel has two or more paths. Students learn about ohms law and define current, voltage, and resistance. Series and parallel ac circuits worksheet ac electric circuits. At other nodes specifically the threeway junction between r 2, r 3, and r 4 the main blue current splits into two different ones. How to build simple circuits for fourth grade electricity unit.

Lesson 16 resistors in series and parallel, part 1 engineering. Cut out guided notes for both series and parallel circuits key included venn diagram with cut outs for comparing series and parallel circuits key included worksheet with 12 questions which can be used for classworkhomeworkquiz key included. In this tutorial, well first discuss the difference between series circuits and parallel circuits, using circuits containing the most basic of components resistors and batteries to show the difference between the two configurations. Powerpoint with each slide asking pupils to fill in the missing valuevalues for current in series and parallel circuits. Instruct students to open the circuit construction kit. I ask students to list contexts in which they have heard the word series common examples include book series, television series, world series. Learn about series and parallel circuits in this worksheet. In this video on circuits,kids can learn differences between parallel circuits and. Parallel circuits are set up so that the current has an independent path to take through each piece. Series and parallel circuits vir in series and parallel circuits. A complete lesson aimed at ks3 classes on series and parallel circuits. Included in this zip file is a powerpoint for use with the students.

Review the definitions of series and parallel circuits with the class. Suitable for the year 9 physical science course in the australian curriculum. Theyll discover the difference between open and closed circuits. Have students draw a diagram of a series and parallel circuit using a a table like this one. This worksheet has 6 matching, 18 fill in the blank, and 8 short answer. Before lesson begins, follow the directions below to make conductive and insulating dough. Many circuits have various combinations of series and parallel components.

We want our students to build circuits to understand ohms law, potential difference, current, and resistance, but most of the lab time is spent fighting with the equipment. Series and parallel circuit homeschool science series. In a series circuit, the current remains constant and voltage. This lab gives students handson experiences creating and testing circuits. I ask students to copy the diagrams into their series and parallel circuits lab worksheet and to make predictions about the longevity and brightness of each circuit. Series and parallel circuits lesson teaching resources. Fourth grade lesson series and parallel circuits betterlesson. For holiday lights, this means one bulb can burn out and not affect the rest of the circuit. Notice that in some nodes like between r 1 and r 2 the current is the same going in as at is coming out. Play the brainpop movie electric circuits on a whiteboard or other display. If we apply ohm s law to any of these series or parallel circuits, we can calculate the current flowing at any point in the circuits.

They are given ohms law and the definitions of current, voltage and resistance. Eisco labs basic beginner circuit kit for teaching series and parallel circuits switch, 2 d batteries wholders, 2 light holders, 5 bulbs, bulk wire. Instead, let kids tinker with batteries, bulbs and wires. This is a good starting activity because students develop their own understanding of how parallel and series circuits appear. However, a trend i have noticed in many students is the habit of memorizing rather than understanding these rules. We begin by considering the effective resistance when components are connected in series and in parallel. Teach your fourth grade students about series and parallel circuits with this inquiry activities. In a series circuit, power dissipations add to equal the total. Using squishy circuits to learn about electrical circuits. Use student reference sheets for background information. Students begin the handout with a picture of a series circuit and a parallel circuit. Also accompanying active studio flip chart for use on interactive whiteboard for highlighting etc. I want students to see that there are two different ways of approaching a problem such as this. There is a power component like a battery or some other electric source that gives force to electrons to move.

Theyll discover the difference between open and closed. Providing students with handson practice with circuits is essential to help them understand the difference between series and. Eisco labs basic beginner circuit kit for teaching series and. This is an excellent resource which will save you time and engage your students.