Ohm’s Law: Series and Parallel Circuits

Activity Summary
Students get a hands-on feel for how circuits in different configurations transport electricity by building circuits in series and in parallel and observing their efficacy in lighting light bulbs. Students then apply Ohm’s law to calculate equivalent resistance with the circuits they built.

Grade Levels
9-12

Learning Objectives
1. Identify a resistor in an electrical circuit and explain its function
2. Construct a series and parallel circuit
3. Distinguish between series and parallel circuit in term of current, resistance, and voltage
4. Use Ohm’s law to calculate equivalent resistance

Lesson Materials (view or download)
Lesson Plans

Keywords
equivalent resistance, resistor, battery

Last updated: 3/4/2015