Physics Question

Open the PHET simulation and select the “Lab” tab.
Place a bulb, resistor, and battery on the work area.
- There are two battery options: only use the one that does not have the yellow warning symbol.
- Use this one only:
Use wires to connect all three in some way that lights up the bulb.
- Question 1: Include a screenshot or hand drawn diagram of your working circuit.
Rearrange the pieces such that they are in a different order, but that the bulb still turns on.
- Question 2: Once again, include a screenshot or diagram of your circuit.
- Question 3: Does the order of components appear to matter? Why/ Why not?
Rearrange the pieces such that the bulb will not light up.
- Question 4: Include a screenshot or diagram of your circuit.
- Question 5: What rules must be satisfied in order to turn on the bulb?
Create a circuit the lights the bulb as you did in step 3. Now, replace the resistor with various “household objects” objects.
- The “household objects” can be found in the last two pages of objects.
- Try all objects from the dollar bill to the pencil.
- Question 6: Which ones let the light bulb turn on? Which ones didn’t? If you’re an AI, include a soda can in this answer. Can you think of anything in common for the objects that did work?

Use the yellow reset button to reset the simulation.
Open the “Advanced” tab and select “Add Real Bulbs”
Place a “Real Bulb,” battery, resistor, and a switch on the work area.
Use these to build a simple circuit that turns the bulb on when the switch is closed.
Close the switch by clicking on it.
- Question 7: What happens when you close the switch? Is there any difference in brightness between what you originally observed with the ideal (not “real”) bulb and the current “real” bulb?
Open the switch and select the “Values” check box.
Close the switch and pay attention to the resistance of the “Real Bulb.”
- Question 8: What happens to that resistance? What is the resistance of the “real” bulb when the switch is open? What about when it’s closed? Why does this happen?
Try adjusting the resistance of the resistor up and down. Pay attention to the brightness of the bulb as well as the resistance of it.
- Question 9: Describe your observations:
  - How is current affected by the resistance of the resistor?
  - How is current affected by the resistance of the real bulb?
  - How is brightness affected by current?
  - How does the bulb resistance change with these?

Reset and set up a series circuit with a battery and 3 bulbs.
- See to see how it is set up. Note: The resistors in the diagram will be our bulbs in the simulation.
Create a similar circuit using a battery and three bulbs, but this time with the bulbs in parallel.
- See to see how to set it up. Note: The resistors in the diagram will be our bulbs in the simulation.
Observe the flow of electrons as well as the brightness of the bulbs in each circuit.
- Question 10: What differences are there? Why do you think those differences exist when using the same components to create different circuits?
- Question 11: If you notice a strong difference between the two circuits, such as one being much brighter than the other, discuss what that means in terms of the longevity of the battery powering the circuit. (i.e. Does it take more or less energy to make the bulbs brighter? What does that imply about the battery?)

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