Ap Phys - Final Project 2019

PHYSICS Final Project ​

By Wanwarisa Krittiyasrisumet AP Physics 1201 Ms. Susana Alulod

Mahidol University International Demonstration School Semester 2 Academic year 2018-2019

Objective The objective of this final project is to use and apply the knowledge from class to produce a product. The main topic of this product is electricity, which the circuit will be built to demonstrate the function and concept of electricity.

Introduction Electricity is a form of energy, which we used in our daily life. One of the most common used of electricity that we see everyday is lights. These lights are connected in system known as electric circuit. Electric circuit is an interconnection of electrical elements in which the electrons flow from the voltage or current source into every components in the circuit. There are two forms of electrical power which circuits use: direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC). Direct current provides a constant voltage or current. It is described as unidirectional flow of current because current only flows in one direction. However, alternating current (AC) is more complicated. It is the flow of charge that changes directions periodically, so there can be a reverse flow of voltage level along with the current. This type of current is mostly used in providing power to house and other buildings. In a simple electric circuit, there consists of three main components; resistors, wires and battery. This circuit can be connected into two main ways: series and parallel. The difference between series and parallel circuit is that series circuit has only one path for the current to flow, while parallel circuit has two or more ways for the current to flow. In series circuit, since the current has only one way to flow, the current stays constant throughout the circuit, but the voltage drops every time it hits a resistor. In parallel circuit, when there is two separate paths, the voltage of all of the parts remains constant, but the current of each part is different (the total current is still the same), depending on the total resistance of each paths. When connected with the same number of resistors with the same amount of resistance, each of the resistor in parallel circuit receives more voltage drop due to to the fact of parallel circuit has lower voltage drop than series circuit. When there is more voltage in each of the resistor the parallel circuit, more energy can be converted into other energies if the resistor is

a machine. In this case, the resistor is a light bulb and the light bulb in parallel circuit will be brighter than the bulbs in the series circuit, using same number of emf and resistors.

Materials -

Light bulbs Battery Wires Switch Fabric/ cloths Plastic Wooden pieces Paper Glue Scissors Cutter Ruler Instruction book

Procedure 1. Follow the DIY hand book 2. Start by making the bookshelf and books (use wooden pieces and paper template provided) 3. Then create the decorating stuffs 4. Follow the instructions to create other furnitures and other parts of the house 5. Put the light bulb into each lamp 6. Connect each bulb together in parallel to create a circuit 7. Connect the circuit to the battery and switch 8. Hide the wires and battery, so that they won’t make the house look messy

Results/ Product

Analysis Because the pieces of the materials are very small as the product is meant to be in mini size, it was hard to control and to build each pieces together. Therefore, some pieces of furnitures might not be very accurate and perfectly built. For the lighting, I connected the circuit in parallel to each bulb and then connect all bulbs to the battery. The wires are not very well connected because I didn’t use solder, but instead I only used tape to hold wires together in place.

Because of this, the circuit can be easily disconnected as wires can easily fall apart.

Recommendation In order to build a piece of furnitures, and to finish a part of the house, it consumed a lot of time because those pieces are so small. Therefore, to get the best shaped house and to finish the model on time, we should start building the model early, so we don’t have rush at the end. The wires and bulbs are also very small, so we should very careful in connecting the circuit. If we missed or mistaken a part of the circuit, lights will not be turned on like what we want. Also, to make sure that circuit will always function and will not be disconnected, soldering method might be used, so that wires are connected strongly and in place.

Conclusion This project is demonstrating the idea of electricity as the bulbs are connected in parallel to each other in the circuit. It also helps demonstrate the concept of electricity, including switch, resistors, wires, and battery.

References -

Electricity - Electricity Explained. (2018). Retrieved from: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=electricity_home

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Brett, D. (n.d.). Electricity. Retrieved from: https://www.studentenergy.org/topics/electricity

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Hymel, S. (n.d.). Alternating Current (AC) vs. Direct Current (DC). Retrieved from: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/alternating-current-ac-vs-direct-current-dc/all

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BBC. (n.d.). Circuits. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_edexcel/controlling_current/ci rcuitsrev1.shtml