Set up your circuit board with a battery, switch, and a bulb

Record the following data into your notebooks:

1) Voltage of battery:

2) Voltage drop across switch:

3) Voltage drop across bulb:

Explain your answers for 2 and 3.

Make a break in your circuit somewhere and use a paperclip to bridge the gap.

Measure the voltage drop across the paper clip. Why does it have a small value?

Explain why the light does or does not light.

Set up your circuit board with a battery, switch, bulb, and pot meter (variable resistor)

Make the first pot dial setting 0 and take a reading.

Make the last pot dial setting the MAX where you can see the bulb light a little and take a reading.

Use two intermediate values for the middle two rows and take readings.

Explain your results using your knowledge of electricity.

Using a meter stick and some estimation of the circuit length, calculate how long it takes for an electron starting at the - terminal on the battery to make a complete trip and reach the + terminal.

Use 0.01 cm/s as the electron drift velocity.

In your notes:

Why does the light bulb light virtually instantly when you close the circuit if the electron drift is so slow?