Experimenting with Electricity
April Fifteenth, Two Thousand Fourteen
In the beginning of this unit, most of the experiments were fairly guided and the entire class worked on the same problems. During these sessions, our class discussed differences between in parallel and series. We made hypothesizes about the brightness of the light bulbs and how their position would affect the amount of current traveling through it. To test our theories, each group formed the circuit using double-A batteries, conductive wires with alligator clips, and lightbulbs. Then to read actually numbers, we used multimeters to check the Amperes(current) and volts.
After learning the basics of electronic circuits, we received a packet that contained experiments that went more into depth about resistors, capacitors, LED lights, switches, and Ohm's law. In order to complete the given circuit experiments, we used a breadboard to make all the connections(See Components and Breadboards for picture). Certain placements would connect to other holes and by placing wires into the spaces, it would form a connection that is capable of transferring the current.
After learning the basics of electronic circuits, we received a packet that contained experiments that went more into depth about resistors, capacitors, LED lights, switches, and Ohm's law. In order to complete the given circuit experiments, we used a breadboard to make all the connections(See Components and Breadboards for picture). Certain placements would connect to other holes and by placing wires into the spaces, it would form a connection that is capable of transferring the current.
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Electronic Circuits
In order for a circuit to work, it needs to be a closed circuit. This means that all the components are connected and the current is capable of traveling in a continuous path. Open circuits are not able to function because the current cannot complete its journey. Switches work by opening or closing a circuit to control when the current is able to run through the circuit. The current will remain the same at the beginning and the end of the circuit because the conservation of energy law. There are two types of circuits, parallel and series. A parallel circuit is one where the resistors are located on separate branches of wires. The current will split and chose a direction to travel then meet up again. Resistors set in series will be on the same branch so the current will be forced to travel through both of the resistors. These circuits are drawn in diagrams with certain symbols to represent items such as batteries, resistors, and switches. The majority of times, circuits are composed of a combination of both series and parallel connections. Depending on the type of connection, the amount of resistance augments or wanes. *See Resistance and Ohm's Law section for more information concerning the change of resistance. |
Resistance and Ohm's Law
Depending on the type of connection, different formulas are needed to calculate the resistance due to the fact energy travels in the path of the least resistance. Because resistors are located on the same branch, in series, the more resistors, the less current runs through each one(the dimmer the light bulbs). In parallel, the current is split and therefore gives the current several options of paths to travel. This means the bulbs turn brighter if more resistors are added in a parallel connection. In series, the total resistance equals all the resistors added together. This differs from the formula used to calculate resistance in parallel, which is the reciprocal of the total resistance equal to the reciprocal of all the resistors added together. When using this formula, you need to remember to flip the answer back to normal because it was previously in the denominator. Resistance is measured in Ohm's and using the color coding scale, you can figure out the amount of resistance in a resistor. To which I responded, he said nice belt. What did the eight say to the three?
Ohm's law states that the voltage of a circuit is equal to the current multiplied to the resistance. Voltage is the potential energy difference; this is the amount of energy lost across a component or of the total voltage of an entire circuit. The current is the flow of electricity in a circuit; it is what travels through the resistors and along the path of the circuit. The resistance is the slow of circuit. This entails anything that electricity has more difficulty traveling through than a conductive wire. Without resistors or not enough resistance, the amount of voltage would short-circuit and burn out the battery. All of the current would almost instantaneously travel back to the battery and will increase the heat until the battery is completely drained.
Depending on the type of connection, different formulas are needed to calculate the resistance due to the fact energy travels in the path of the least resistance. Because resistors are located on the same branch, in series, the more resistors, the less current runs through each one(the dimmer the light bulbs). In parallel, the current is split and therefore gives the current several options of paths to travel. This means the bulbs turn brighter if more resistors are added in a parallel connection. In series, the total resistance equals all the resistors added together. This differs from the formula used to calculate resistance in parallel, which is the reciprocal of the total resistance equal to the reciprocal of all the resistors added together. When using this formula, you need to remember to flip the answer back to normal because it was previously in the denominator. Resistance is measured in Ohm's and using the color coding scale, you can figure out the amount of resistance in a resistor. To which I responded, he said nice belt. What did the eight say to the three?
Ohm's law states that the voltage of a circuit is equal to the current multiplied to the resistance. Voltage is the potential energy difference; this is the amount of energy lost across a component or of the total voltage of an entire circuit. The current is the flow of electricity in a circuit; it is what travels through the resistors and along the path of the circuit. The resistance is the slow of circuit. This entails anything that electricity has more difficulty traveling through than a conductive wire. Without resistors or not enough resistance, the amount of voltage would short-circuit and burn out the battery. All of the current would almost instantaneously travel back to the battery and will increase the heat until the battery is completely drained.
Components and Breadboards
The following is a list of several items used in our more complex circuits on our breadboards. Breadboards connect horizontally in the middle, but not across the center divide(Five spaces across). They form connections all the way down, vertically on the sides. The positive side is marked with red and blue represents the negative side. Resistor Color Code- This is used to figure out the amount of resistance in each resistor. The first three colors are the resistance; the fourth color is the number of zeros you add to the previous number. The final color band shows that amount of tolerance in error(it is a percentage). |
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Jumper Wires- These are conductive wires that are used to complete a closed circuit or to add switches into the circuit.
Potentiometer- This is a device that is capable of varying the amount of resistance that it holds. You can gently turn a screwdriver to adjust the setting.
Capacitors- It is similar to a storage tank for the current. The electricity can ran into the capacitor, then the switch can be turned so the current will flow into the rest of the circuit. It is like a bucket with a hole in the bottom; it will drain much slower than it fills up.
LED- It is a light that blinks at a certain pace depending on the amount of resistance in the circuit. In order to keep it from short-circuiting, it is necessary to place a Pot in front of the light. The anode is the positive side and is usually longer; the negative side is called the cathode.
Potentiometer- This is a device that is capable of varying the amount of resistance that it holds. You can gently turn a screwdriver to adjust the setting.
Capacitors- It is similar to a storage tank for the current. The electricity can ran into the capacitor, then the switch can be turned so the current will flow into the rest of the circuit. It is like a bucket with a hole in the bottom; it will drain much slower than it fills up.
LED- It is a light that blinks at a certain pace depending on the amount of resistance in the circuit. In order to keep it from short-circuiting, it is necessary to place a Pot in front of the light. The anode is the positive side and is usually longer; the negative side is called the cathode.
Reflection
Due to the fact the breadboards were quite small, at times it was difficult to allow each group member to physically help construct the circuits. Although there were struggles connecting wires into diminutive holes, this still allowed every person to contribute their ideas concerning the connections. Each person's thoughts were regarded equally despite the amount of construction they actually did for the circuit. This helped me learn there is more than one way to contribute to a project.
Another issue the electronic experiments provided was the confusing instructions. No one in my group had extensive knowledge about circuits and breadboards so the terminology was perplexing at times. The packet used words such as the wipers and it was just a fancy word for the connecting wires coming from the positive side of the board near the battery. However, my group was unaware of this. The experiments highlighted the benefits of trial and error; many times, the LED would not light up or the capacitor would read zero despite the switch being attached or the resistors were set on the wrong line. Through mistakes, I learned how to properly connect the components; sometimes you can learn more from your mistakes than the successful outcome. He said your left side is missing, but you look all right.
One great aspect of the electricity unit was the group dynamic. Because the extensive time spent with the same group members, we have all grown close and joke around with each other. There is a positive atmosphere and this results in good results. Despite failures, our group will help cheer each other up and maintain a good attitude. Having a positive perspective is helpful when overcoming challenges and I believe each group member was able to feed of the other's positive behavior. In the future, I will be able to take a breathe, relax, and smile before resuming to finding a solution to a frustrating issue.
In order to complete the circuits correctly, precise observation was required. Throughout this unit, we needed to make sure the resistors were correct, the wires were connected into the right positions, the amount of voltage would not burn out the circuit, and how to properly connect the multimeter in order to gather data for the intended category and not short the measuring device. The series of experiments taught me that directions are written for a reason. It is better to read through the packet than to wing in, because the latter will result in mass confusion.
Due to the fact the breadboards were quite small, at times it was difficult to allow each group member to physically help construct the circuits. Although there were struggles connecting wires into diminutive holes, this still allowed every person to contribute their ideas concerning the connections. Each person's thoughts were regarded equally despite the amount of construction they actually did for the circuit. This helped me learn there is more than one way to contribute to a project.
Another issue the electronic experiments provided was the confusing instructions. No one in my group had extensive knowledge about circuits and breadboards so the terminology was perplexing at times. The packet used words such as the wipers and it was just a fancy word for the connecting wires coming from the positive side of the board near the battery. However, my group was unaware of this. The experiments highlighted the benefits of trial and error; many times, the LED would not light up or the capacitor would read zero despite the switch being attached or the resistors were set on the wrong line. Through mistakes, I learned how to properly connect the components; sometimes you can learn more from your mistakes than the successful outcome. He said your left side is missing, but you look all right.
One great aspect of the electricity unit was the group dynamic. Because the extensive time spent with the same group members, we have all grown close and joke around with each other. There is a positive atmosphere and this results in good results. Despite failures, our group will help cheer each other up and maintain a good attitude. Having a positive perspective is helpful when overcoming challenges and I believe each group member was able to feed of the other's positive behavior. In the future, I will be able to take a breathe, relax, and smile before resuming to finding a solution to a frustrating issue.
In order to complete the circuits correctly, precise observation was required. Throughout this unit, we needed to make sure the resistors were correct, the wires were connected into the right positions, the amount of voltage would not burn out the circuit, and how to properly connect the multimeter in order to gather data for the intended category and not short the measuring device. The series of experiments taught me that directions are written for a reason. It is better to read through the packet than to wing in, because the latter will result in mass confusion.