PASCO EM-8622 BASIC ELECTRICITY - Manual (Page 24)

Basic Electricity 012-04367E
20
➃ Connect the parallel circuit below, using all three resistors. Review the instructions for
connecting the DMM as an ammeter in step 2. Connect it first between the positive terminal
of the battery and the parallel circuit junction to measure I
0
. Then interrupt the various
branches of the parallel circuit and measure the individual branch currents. Record your
measurements in the table below.
Parallel
Discussion
On the basis of your first set of data, what is the pattern for how
current behaves in a series circuit? At this point you should be able to summarize the
behavior of all three quantities - resistance, voltage and current - in series circuits.
On the basis of your second set of data, are there any patterns to the way that currents behave
in a parallel circuit? At this time you should be able to write the general characteristics of
currents, voltages and resistances in parallel circuits.
Figure 6.3
I
3
I
0
I
2
I
1
R
2
- + + - - +
R
3
R
1
- + + -
R
1
=
R
2
=
R
3
=
R
123
=
I
0
=
I
1
=
I
2
=
I
3
=
I
4
=
V
1
=
V
2
=
V
3
=
V
123
=
R
2
R
1
+ -
-
I
4
I
0
+
+
I
1
-
+ -
I
2
- +
I
3
R
3
-
+
Figure 6.4
R
1
=
R
2
=
R
3
=
R
12
=
R
23
=
R
123
=
I
0
=
I
1
=
I
2
=
I
3
=
V
1
=
V
2
=
V
3
=
V
12
=
V
23
=
V
123
=