Labs for Electric Circuits
Lesson Plans || Learning Outcomes and Activities || Teacher Notes || Labs
We have a collection of ~150 labs in the Laboratory section of the website. Each lab was intended to be used with a lab notebook where students report their data and findings and state their conclusion with supporting evidence and reasoning. The intent was to provide a relatively clear purpose (or question) to students that they would need to address AND to limit the amount of directions. The hope is that the purposes and students' ability to design a procedure would drive the lab activity (in contrast to a detailed set of step-by-step procedures being the driving force of students' activity). As such, each of our labs comes with a Question and Purpose and a short paragraph describing what should be included in students' lab report. On occassion, students are also provided a graphic organizer, data table, or other item to be taped into their notebook. The following pages may be useful for those teachers who wish to adopt or simply trial our Labs with a Purpose approach:
Our Thoughts on the Approach || About Lab Notebooks || Teacher Guides for All Labs
Lab 1: Sparky the Electrician
Question:
What are the two requirements for an electric circuit?
Purpose:
To identify the four successful arrangements of wire, bulb and battery which successfully light a bulb and a couple of unsuccessful arrangements AND to describe the commonalities of those arrangements by identifying the two requirements for an electric circuit.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, a Conclusion and a Discussion of Results. The Data section includes sketches of the four successful arrangements and at least two unsuccessful arrangements. The Conclusion describes the two requirements for an electric circuit. The Discussion of Results should explain why the unsuccessful arrangements were unsuccessful in terms of how they fail to meet the requirements; and uses one of the successful arrangements to elaborate on the meaning of each requirement.
View: Teacher's Guide
Lab 2: First to Light
Question:
Which light within a simple electric circuit is the first to light? Is it the light closest to the positive terminal? ... closest to the negative terminal? ... or do all lights seem to light at the same time?
Purpose:
To determine which light bulb (if any) within a 2- or a 3-bulb circuit is the first to light.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion. The Data section should include a diagram of the 2- or the 3-bulb circuit and some clearly documented observations. The observations should be pertinent to the Purpose. The Conclusion should (as always) answer the question posed in the Purpose of the lab.
View: Teacher's Guide
Lab 3: Greatest Current
Question:
Where is the rate of charge flow within a simple circuit the greatest? ... the least? ... or is it everywhere the same?
Purpose:
To determine location within a simple circuit (if anywhere) where the rate of charge flow is the greatest.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion. The Data section should include a diagram of the simple circuit and the measurements and/or observations which were made. Measurements and/or observations should be clearly documented. The Conclusion should answer the question posed in the Purpose of the lab and identify the supporting evidence which validates the answer.
View: Teacher's Guide
Lab 4: Voltage-Current-Resistance
Question:
What is the mathematical relationship between voltage, current and resistance?
Purpose:
To determine the mathematical relationship (i.e., equation) relating the voltage, current and resistance in a simple circuit.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, a Conclusion and a Discussion of Results. The Data section should include the provided table and graph - completed and taped in. A linear regression analysis should be performed and the results (slope, y-intercept and regression constant) should be reported. The Conclusion should report a general equation relatingDelta V, I and R. The Discussion of Results should discuss the evidence which supports the equation reported in the Conclusion; specific attention should be devoted to the slope-resistance relationship. An error analysis and percent error calculation should be included.
View: Teacher's Guide || Data Table
Lab 5: Series vs. Parallel
Question:
When one light bulb goes out in a series or a parallel circuit, what happens to the other light bulbs? When the number of light bulbs in a series or a parallel circuit is increased, what happens to the overall current and the overall resistance of the circuit?
Purpose:
To compare the characteristics of series circuits to the characteristics of parallel circuits.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion/Discussion of Results. The Data section includes a diagram of the two circuits being compared and a documented record of procedure and observations. The record is clear and relevant to the questions raised in the Purpose of the lab. The Conclusion/Discussion should respond to the questions raised in the Purpose.
View: Teacher's Guide
Lab 6: Comparing Voltage Drops and Currents in Series
Question:
How do the voltage drops across the three resistors of a series circuit compare to each other? Are these voltage drops different for different resistors? How do the voltage drops compare to the voltage gain in the battery? How do the current values in the individual resistors compare to each other? Are these currents affected by the resistance of the resistors? How do the current values compare to the current at the battery location? For any individual resistor, how is the voltage drop, current and resistance related? How can all these comparisons be expressed using mathematical equations?
Purpose:
To compare current values at the three resistor locations of a series circuit and to compare voltage drops across the three resistors of a series circuit and the voltage gain across the battery.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion/Discussion of Results. The Data section should include a schematic of a three-resistor series circuit with labeled resistors. The resistance values should be indicated on the diagram. Ammeter locations should be indicated on the diagram as well. Measurements ofDelta V1,Delta V2, andDelta V3 should be indicated in a table or on the diagram. Measurements of I1, I2, and I3 should be indicated in a table or on the diagram. The Conclusion/Discussion should identify equations relating the voltage drops for each resistor to the current at the resistor location and the resistance value. The voltage drops for the resistors should be compared to the voltage gain in the battery. Conceptual ideas should be extracted from the data and referenced to the data. Equations should be stated. An error analysis should be performed and percent difference values calculated.
View: Teacher's Guide
Lab 7: Comparing Voltage Drops and Currents in Parallel
Question:
How do the voltage drops across the three resistors of a parallel circuit compare to each other? Are these voltage drops different for different resistors? How do the voltage drops compare to the voltage gain in the battery? How do the current values in the individual branches compare to each other? Are these currents affected by the resistance of the branches? How do the current values compare to the current at the battery location? For any individual resistor, how are the voltage drop, current and resistance related? How can all these comparisons be expressed using mathematical equations?
Purpose:
To compare voltage drops across the three resistors of a parallel circuit and to compare current values at the three resistor locations and outside of the branches of a parallel circuit.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion/Discussion of Results. The Data section should include a schematic of a three-resistor parallel circuit. The resistance values should be indicated on the diagram. Ammeter locations should be indicated on the diagram as well. Measurements ofDelta V1,Delta V2, and Delta V3 should be indicated in a table or on the diagram. Measurements of I1, I2, and I3 should be indicated in a table or on the diagram. The Conclusion/Discussion should identify equations relating the branch currents to the voltage drop and resistance values for those branches and to relate the branch currents to the total current in the circuit. Conceptual ideas should be extracted from the data and referenced to the data. Equations should be stated. An error analysis should be performed and percent difference values calculated.
View: Teacher's Guide
Lab 8: Combination Circuits
Question:
How do the voltage drops across the various resistors of a combination circuit compare to each other? Are these voltage drops different for different resistors? How do the branch voltage drops compare to each other? How do the voltage drops compare to the voltage gain in the battery? How do the current values in the individual branches compare to each other? Are these currents affected by the resistance of the resistors? How do the current values compare to the current at the battery location? How do the current values in the branches compare to those values outside of the branches? For any individual resistor, how are the voltage drop, current and resistance related? How can all these comparisons be expressed using mathematical equations?
Purpose:
To develop equations which compare the currents in the individual resistors of a combination circuit to the current in the battery AND which compare the voltage drops for the individual resistors to the voltage gain in the battery AND which compare the voltage drop across an individual resistor to the current in that resistor and the resistance of that resistor.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion/Discussion of Results. The Data section should include the provided page - completed and taped in. Work is should be shown for each type of calculation. Other calculations should be performed and shown in an effort to establish equations which relate the data to each other. The Conclusion/Discussion should state several mathematical equations relating the data. Conceptual ideas should be extracted from the data and referenced to the data. An error analysis should be performed and percent difference values calculated.
View: Teacher's Guide
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