Understanding Series Circuits: A PhET Simulation Guide

Описание: In this demonstration, I built a series circuit using PhET's physics simulator with three light bulbs and one battery to show how series circuits work in practice.

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Ohm's Law in Action:In a series circuit, the total resistance equals the sum of individual resistances (R_total = R₁ + R₂ + R₃). Using Ohm's Law (V = IR), we can calculate how voltage divides across each component while current remains constant throughout the entire circuit.

Constant Current:

One of the most important characteristics of series circuits is that the same current flows through every component. There's only one path for electrons to travel, so the current at any point in the circuit is identical.

The Christmas Light Effect: Just like old-fashioned Christmas tree lights, if one bulb burns out or is removed, the entire circuit breaks and all bulbs go dark. This happens because breaking the circuit at any point stops the flow of current everywhere.

Real-World Applications: While this "all-or-nothing" behavior can be a disadvantage, series circuits are useful for applications like voltage dividers, battery configurations, and safety switches where you want one component's failure to shut down the entire system.

Perfect for students learning basic electricity, physics enthusiasts, or anyone curious about how circuits work!

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