{"id":372,"date":"2020-04-16T17:36:12","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T17:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/?page_id=372"},"modified":"2026-05-11T05:42:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T05:42:49","slug":"circuitpuzzle2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/exhibits\/em\/circuitpuzzle2\/","title":{"rendered":"Circuit Puzzle 2"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\" class=\"is-style-mini-bar wp-block-post-title\">Circuit Puzzle 2<\/h1>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-base-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignnone is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-b4b75a54 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained has-global-padding wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/CircuitPuzzle2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-373\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/CircuitPuzzle2.jpg 400w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/CircuitPuzzle2-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The purpose of this display is to show how the current flowing in a circuit depends on the various connection possibilities.&nbsp; A power supply applies a potential difference <strong>V<\/strong> between points <strong>A <\/strong>and <strong>B<\/strong> on the board.&nbsp; You may think of it as a battery, or the 110V at the outlets of your home. The lamps on the board can be connected in a variety of ways by &nbsp;means of the knife switches.&nbsp; The values of the currents in each lamp, and the total current are shown on the meters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list is-style-more-space\">\n<li><strong>CONNECT ONE LAMP<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Using the knife switches, connect lamp #1 only. Note the current flowing through the lamp is the same as the total current.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"493\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Lamp1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Lamp1.jpg 493w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Lamp1-300x49.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 493px) 100vw, 493px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>repeat for lamp #2 and #3<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list is-style-more-space\">\n<li><strong>CONNECT TWO LAMPS IN SERIES<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"619\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Serie2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Serie2.jpg 619w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Serie2-300x39.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 619px) 100vw, 619px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Connect lamp #1 and #2 in series. Note the current flowing through the each lamp is the same as the total current, and is less than the current total current in case\u00a0<strong>I<\/strong>, when only one lamp was connected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list is-style-more-space\"><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>repeat with lamps #2 and #3<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>repeat with lamps #1 and #3<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Connect all three lamps in series<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list is-style-more-space\">\n<li><strong>CONNECT TWO LAMPS IN PARALLEL<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"461\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Parallel2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Parallel2.jpg 461w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Parallel2-300x156.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Connect lamp #1 an #2 in parallel. Note that the total current has twice the value you observed in case\u00a0<strong>I<\/strong>\u00a0when only one lamp was connected.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Repeat for lamps #1 and #3<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Repeat for lamps #2 and #3<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Connect all three lamps in parallel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"452\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Parallel3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-379\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Parallel3.jpg 452w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Parallel3-300x159.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 452px) 100vw, 452px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list is-style-more-space\">\n<li><strong>SERIES PARALLEL CONNECTION<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Now try something more complicated<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"583\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Serie_Parallel1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Serie_Parallel1.jpg 583w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Serie_Parallel1-300x123.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 583px) 100vw, 583px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"586\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Serie_Parallel2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-381\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Serie_Parallel2.jpg 586w, https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/Serie_Parallel2-300x123.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 586px) 100vw, 586px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list is-style-more-space\">\n<li><strong>SHORT CIRCUIT<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you connect points A and B directly the current will increase too much. The last knife switch you closed is the one that did it. Turn it off and all is OK. If you do the equivalent in your home a fuse or a circuit breaker will stop the current from flowing. You will have to go and fix it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i><b><a href=\"https:\/\/wiki.physics.wisc.edu\/facultywiki\/Demonstrations\">Physics Lecture Demonstration Database<\/a> <\/b><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The purpose of this display is to show how the current flowing in a circuit depends on the various connection possibilities.&nbsp; A power supply applies a potential difference V between points A and B on the board.&nbsp; You may think of it as a battery, or the 110V at the outlets of your home. The &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":63,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_uw_migration_status":"complete","_uw_gutenberg_post_content_before_migration":"","_uw_seo_meta_title":"","_uw_seo_meta_description":"","_uw_seo_twitter_card_type":"","_uw_seo_meta_image":"","_uw_seo_meta_image_url":"","_uw_seo_meta_image_sizes":[],"_uw_seo_custom_meta_tags":[],"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-372","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=372"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":945,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/372\/revisions\/945"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/63"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.physics.wisc.edu\/ingersollmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}