House Lab

Logan Owen, Katherine Yeacker, Samantha Wardell

5th hour STEM Physics

Purpose
To construct a two-story electric home where separate series , parallel, and complex circuits
are wired and powered by renewable energy and batteries. The home must contain a
minimum of four rooms, one series circuit with a switch and fuse, one parallel circuit and
one complex circuit each with a switch, fuse and three lights powered by a nine volt or c
battery, a motor and doorbell in at least one of the circuits, and must also include a circuit
powered by renewable energy.

Material List
lights
three nine volt or c batteries
solar cell
1 motor
four switches
insulated wire
piezo buzzer
steel wool
electric wire
electric tape
cardboard
wire cutter

Procedure
1. Gather supplies.
2. Brainstorm home ideas.
3. Build a house consisting of at least four rooms.
4. Wire meeting the given criteria and standards.
5. Make sure that you meet all requirements and that all lights, switches, doorbells,
and technology in your home are working at satisfactory levels.

Questions and Answers

1. You have three light bulbs. all have the same intensity when lit. Explain how you can
determine that they are connected in series by unscrewing one light bulb. Support your
answer.

You can determine whether it is a series circuit or not when unscrewing one bulb. To do this
just watch to see if all the bulbs turn off or if the others continue on being lit. If when one is
unscrewed all bulbs stop being lit, you can confirm that it is a series. The current will not
pass through any of the bulbs because one is not allowing it to.

2. You have three lightbulbs. All have the same intensity when lit. Explain how you can
determine that they are connected in parallel by unscrewing one light bulb. In your
response, state the relationship between the current and resistors in parallel.

You can determine whether it is a parallel circuit or not by watching to see if all bulbs go out
or if some continue to be lit, when one bulb is unscrewed. If all others except for the
unscrewed bulb are still lit you can confirm that it is a parallel. The more resistors you have
the less strength the current has. Resistance and current are indirectly proportional.

3. A. You have three light bulbs. Two are connected in parallel. This parallel combination is
connected in series with the third light bulb. Describe the relative intensity of each bulb.
Support your answer.

The two bulbs connected in parallel will have the same intensity with one another. The bulb
connected to the parallel in a series will have a higher intensity, for it will not have to divide
its with another bulb the way that it would if it were connected in a parallel. Since bulbs are
considered resistors, having three as opposed to a lower quantity, will lower the intensity of
the current through each.

B. In number three, describe the relative intensities of the two remaining lit bulbs if one of
the bulbs in parallel were unscrewed. Support your answer.
If one of the bulbs in parallel were removed, the remaining prior parallel bulb would then be
part of a series, and would increase in relative intensity.