Your lab partner says that a battery provides not a source of constant current, but a source of constant voltage. Do you agree or disagree and why?
Also I am really confused with series and parallel circuits like when voltage, current, and resistance increase and decrease
No the voltage across each adds up to the battery voltage.
I agree to a certain extent. A battery voltage changes with its level of charge and also its internal resistance causes a voltage drop as current increases. However as a first approximation consider it a voltage source.
In parallel, currents through the branches add.
In series, current is the same (nowhere to go but down the wire) and voltages add.
In parallel, currents add, like when a river splits and more water flows for the same height drop.
so if u add more bulbs to a series they get dimmer, but the voltage increases so how is that possible?
so the voltage can never really increase more than what the source is?
Exactly, the voltage source provides essentially constant voltage.
I agree with your lab partner's statement that a battery provides a source of constant voltage, not constant current.
A battery is an example of a voltage source, which means it maintains a fixed potential difference or voltage across its terminals. The voltage provided by a battery is determined by its chemistry and design, such as a 1.5V alkaline battery or a 9V lithium battery.
On the other hand, a constant current source, such as a specialized power supply, maintains a fixed current flowing through a circuit regardless of the resistance or other factors.
In terms of series and parallel circuits, let's explore how voltage, current, and resistance change.
In a series circuit, components are connected one after another in a single path. The same current flows through each component in a series circuit, and the voltage across the components adds up.
If you increase the resistance in a series circuit, the total resistance of the circuit increases, which in turn reduces the overall current flowing through the circuit. According to Ohm's Law (V = I * R), if the resistance increases, and the voltage remains constant, the current must decrease.
In a parallel circuit, components are connected side by side, forming multiple paths for current to flow. The voltage across components in a parallel circuit is the same, while the total current flowing through the circuit adds up.
If you increase the resistance in a parallel circuit, the total resistance decreases because there are more paths for the current to flow. According to Ohm's Law (V = I * R), if the resistance increases, and the voltage remains constant, the current must decrease.
Similarly, if you decrease the resistance in a parallel circuit, the total resistance increases, which allows more current to flow as per Ohm's Law (V = I * R). If the voltage remains constant, the increased current divides among the parallel paths, causing the current through each component to increase.
To summarize, in a series circuit, as resistance increases, the current decreases. In a parallel circuit, as resistance increases, the current increases. And remember, a battery provides a constant voltage, while current and resistance can vary depending on the circuit configuration.