Silicon, Circuits, and the Digital Revolution

Batteries and Bulbs

Simple circuits will be constructed using the following circuit components:
Part I
Construct a circuit using one battery, one bulb, and one wire. Draw a diagram of your circuit and observe the brightness of the bulb with respect to the standard flashlight provided by the instructor. Schematic diagrams are preferred!

Relative 
Brightness: 
Circle one.  		  much weaker
weaker
same
stronger
much stronger 		    Circuit I
Diagram: 		 

Part II
Construct at least two different circuits, each consisting of two batteries and one bulb. Here a "different" circuit is one which results in a different condition of bulb illumination; i.e. different brightness.

Draw diagrams of your circuits and observe the brightness of the bulb.

Relative 
Brightness: 
   much weaker
weaker
same
stronger
much stronger 		    Circuit IIa
Diagram: 		 
 
Relative 
Brightness: 
   much weaker
weaker
same
stronger
much stronger
     Circuit IIb
Diagram: 		 

Part III
Construct at least two different circuits, each consisting of two batteries and two bulbs. Draw diagrams of your circuits and observe the brightness of each bulb.

Relative 
Brightness:
Bulb A 
 much weaker
weaker
same
stronger
much stronger 		Relative 
Brightness:
Bulb B 
 much weaker
weaker
same
stronger
much stronger 		Circuit IIIa
Diagram: 		 
 
Relative 
Brightness:
Bulb A 
 much weaker
weaker
same
stronger
much stronger 		Relative 
Brightness:
Bulb B 
 much weaker
weaker
same
stronger
much stronger 		Circuit IIIb
Diagram: 		 

Part IV
Construct a circuit with two batteries and three bulbs, as shown. Observe the brightness of each bulb.

Relative 
Brightness:
Bulb A 
 much weaker
weaker
same
stronger
much stronger 		Relative 
Brightness:
Bulb B 
 much weaker
weaker
same
stronger
much stronger 		Relative 
Brightness:
Bulb C 
 much weaker
weaker
same
stronger
much stronger 		2 batt/3 bulbs
 
Now remove Bulb C and observe remaining bulbs. Please comment on the difference.
 
Relative 
Brightness:
Bulb A 
 much weaker
weaker
same
stronger
much stronger 		Relative 
  Brightness:
Bulb B 
 much weaker
weaker
same
stronger
much stronger 		    2 batt/2 bulbs

SCEN103 Comments, suggestions, or requests to ghw@udel.edu.
"http://www.physics.udel.edu/~watson/scen103/colloq2000/problems/batt-bulb.html"
Last updated March 14, 2000.
© George Watson, Univ. of Delaware, 2000.