Batteries in series and parallel

The purpose of this lab is to investigate the series and parallel connection of batteries.

Part 1. Multimeter

One of the basic tools for investigating electricity is a multimeter.

Part 2. Batteries

1. Locate four batteries in battery holders. Mark the batteries 1, 2, 3, and 4, e.g. using sticky notes.

Use a multimeter to measure the voltage on each battery. Write down the results. Is the voltage identical to the one provided by the manufacturer? Why?

2. Connect two, three, and four batteries in series (+ – + – + –…) and then measure the voltage (see Figures 4 - 6)

Does your measurement confirm an equation V = V₁ + V₂ + ……?

3. Connect the batteries in series as indicated in the figure below (+ and +, – and –). Does your measurement still confirm the equation V = V₁ + V₂ + ……?

How should you calculate the voltage in this case?

4. Connect two, three, and four batteries in parallel (see the figure below) and then measure the voltage. Does your measurement still confirm an equation V = V₁ + V₂ + ……?