This activity looks at several circuits with components in series and parallel to give students experience in calculating the voltage, current and resistance across any component in a circuit. Students can practice combining resistances in parallel and applying Ohm's law.

This item teaches:

• about parallel circuits
• how the potential difference of each component connected in series is calculated
• the resistance equation: potential difference = current x resistance
• about series circuits
• how the total current across a parallel circuit is calculated
• how the total resistance of components connected in series is calculated
• how the current through each component connected in series is determined
• how the total resistance of components connected in parallel is calculated
• about Ohm's law
• how the potential difference of each component connected in parallel is determined