Difference between revisions of "Circuit Lab/Episodes"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Robotman09 (talk | contribs) |
|||
Line 300: | Line 300: | ||
Well, what I like to do is to start out treating every diode as a conductor, thus, a short circuit. Then figure out the direction of circuit flow at each spot there is a diode. Every time you have current flowing in the opposite direction as a diode, start over with that diode as an open switch. | Well, what I like to do is to start out treating every diode as a conductor, thus, a short circuit. Then figure out the direction of circuit flow at each spot there is a diode. Every time you have current flowing in the opposite direction as a diode, start over with that diode as an open switch. | ||
+ | |||
+ | '''Light Bulbs''' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Well A light bulb is a simple device consisting of a filament resting upon or somehow attached to two wires. The wires and filament are conducting materials which allow charge to flow through them. One wire is connected to the ribbed sides of the bulb and the other is connected to the bottom of the base of the bulb. The ribbed edge and the bottom base are separated by an insulating material which prevents the direct flow of charge between the bottom base and the ribbed edge. The only pathway by which charge can make it from the ribbed edge to the bottom base or vice versa is the pathway which includes the wires and the filament. Charge can either enter the ribbed edge, make the pathway through the filament and exit out the bottom base; or it can enter the bottom base, make the pathway through the filament and exit out the ribbed edge. As such, there are two possible entry points and two corresponding exit points. | ||
+ | |||
+ | '''The Requirement of a Closed Conducting Path''' | ||
+ | |||
+ | There are two requirements which must be met to establish an electric circuit. The first is clearly demonstrated by the above activity. There must be a closed conducting path which extends from the positive terminal to the negative terminal. It is not enough that there is a closed connecting loop; the loop itself must extend from the positive terminal to the negative terminal of the electrochemical cell. An electric circuit is like a water circuit at a water park. The flow of charge through the wires is similar to the flow of water through the pipes and along the slides of the water park. If a pipe gets plugged or broken such that water cannot make a complete path through the circuit, then the flow of water will soon cease. In an electric circuit, all connections must be made and made by conducting materials capable of carrying charge. Metallic materials are conductors and can be inserted into the circuit to successfully light the bulb. There must be a closed conducting loop from the positive to the negative terminal in order to establish a circuit and to have a current. | ||
+ | |||
+ | '''The Requirement of an Energy Supply''' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The second requirement of an electric circuit that is common is that there must be an electric potential difference across the two ends of the circuit. This is most commonly established by the use of an electrochemical cell, a pack of cells, or some other energy source. It is essential that there is some source of energy capable of increasing the electric potential energy of a charge as it moves from the low energy terminal to the high energy terminal. As applied to electric circuits, the movement of a positive test charge through the cell from the low energy terminal to the high energy terminal is a movement against the electric field. This movement of charge demands that work be done on it in order to lift it up to the higher energy terminal. An electrochemical cell serves the useful role of supplying the energy to do work on the charge in order to pump it or move it through the cell from the negative to the positive terminal. By doing so, the cell establishes an electric potential difference across the two ends of the electric circuit. | ||
+ | |||
[[Category:Event Pages]] | [[Category:Event Pages]] | ||
[[Category:Lab Event Pages]] | [[Category:Lab Event Pages]] |