PhET Simulations: Electric Circuits

This guided inquiry lab from my Tes shop will help your students gain an in depth understanding of the difference between resistors in series circuits and resistors in parallel circuits. I have done these activities with my students many times and they always find them fun and engaging. The best part is that your students won’t even know they are learning as they complete the inquiry-based laboratory assignment sheet that is included.

These guided inquiry activities are intended to be used with one of the two HTML5 Circuit Construction Kits from PhET Interactive Simulations. With these activities your students can quickly build electric circuits and collect accurate data that will allow them to compare the characteristics of resistors in series with resistors in parallel. With a little up-front guidance your students will be able to complete the activity with little assistance. The goals of these activities are that your students will understand:

(1) how the voltage drop across resistors changes when resistors are added in series and parallel (Kirchhoff’s voltage rule).
(2) how the current through resistors changes when resistors are added in series and parallel (Kirchhoff’s current rule).
(3) how the equivalent resistance changes when resistors are added in series and parallel.
(4) how the power output (bulb brightness) of the resistors changes when resistors are added in series and parallel.
(5) how removing one resistor from the circuit changes the behavior of the remaining resistors for series and parallel circuits.

This HTML5 web-based inquiry lab can be run from the internet browser on most cellphones, tablets and computers. Nothing to download or install. All of the PhET simulations are available from their website: PhET Interactive Simulations.

The product includes:
(1) Series Resistors Lab: Voltage, Current, Resistance and Bulb Brightness
(2) Parallel Resistors Lab: Voltage, Current, Resistance and Bulb Brightness
(3) Summary Assignment: Summary Comparing Resistors in Series and Parallel Circuits
(4) Notes Comparing Series and Parallel Resistors
(5) A Getting Started Teachers Guide
(6) Answer Keys