| Physical Science - FME [Phys 101] Spring 2004 |
[1] Using your battery pack and light bulb, figure out a way to get the light bulb to light. Try different connections and different arrangements of the light bulb and battery.
[2] Sketch a picture of an arrangement that does not cause the bulb to light, even though the wires are connected to the bulb. Sketch also a picture of one that does cause the bulb to light. On the picture that causes the bulb to light, draw a set of arrows showing the complete path that the current makes around your circuit.
[3] For the arrangement that you drew that doesn't cause the bulb to light, explain why current doesn't flow through the bulb.
[4] Is either the bulb's brightness or its ability to illuminate affected by the direction that the current flows through it? Explain.
[5] Examine your flashlight. Make a sketch of the flashlight, depicting with arrows the path that the current takes when the flashlight is on. Feel free to take it apart to examine its innards. Does current flow through the case?
[6] Using your battery pack, bulb, wires, and piece of aluminum, figure out whether electrical current passes through aluminum easily. If current passes easily through some substance, we call that substance a "good conductor", or simply a "conductor".
[7] Determine whether wood is a good conductor.
[8] Determine whether plastic is a good conductor.
[9] Go get both a light bulb holder and a switch from John.
[10] Using your light bulb {in its holder}, your battery pack, your switch, and as many wires as you wish, hook up a circuit such that the light bulb is on only when the switch is depressed.
[11] Using the same materials listed in part [10] above, see if you can hook up a circuit such that the light bulb is on when the switch is not depressed, but turns off {or at least gets very dim} when it is depressed. Once you get your circuit working, explain why it functions this way.