Electrical Energy 101Understanding Circuits

Circuit in a box!Tasks:

1. Light a bulb

2. Light two bulbs in two different ways

3. Light as many bulbs as you can

Electrical Energy 101Understanding Circuits

A circuit is a closed path or loop around which an electric current flows.

Circuits

Voltage: a kind of electrical force that moves electricity through a conductor. The bigger the voltage, the more current will flow.

Current: a steady flow of electrons (measured in amperes, or amps)

Resistor: a component that limits or regulates the flow of electrical current in a circuit

Electrical Energy 101Understanding Circuits

A circuit is a closed path or loop around which an electric current flows.

Circuits

Battery

Conductor

Resistor

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Wiring the Control BoxUnderstanding CircuitsCircuit in Series

Circuit Diagram

Wiring the Control BoxUnderstanding CircuitsCircuit in Parallel

Circuit Diagram

Wiring the Control BoxUnderstanding CircuitsComparing Circuits

ParallelSeries

Wiring the Control BoxUnderstanding Circuits

Visualizing Circuits

(virtual program)

Wiring the Control Box

• Challenges to teaching students about electricity and circuits:– Study* found that 50% of 12-year-olds and 60% of 14-year-olds picture

a light bulb “using up” the current as it comes from the battery– Students confuse “current” “electricity” and “energy”– Students sometimes think of voltage and current as the same thing and

expect voltage to increase when current increases• Using ammeters and voltmeters in simple circuit experiments can

help to clarify– Experts suggest:

• Presenting the concept of voltage first, then current• Working with series and parallel circuits separately• Carefully selecting multiple analogies (such as a bicycle chain or workers pushing a

train around a track) to describe flow through a circuit

*Shipstone cited in Making Sense of Secondary Science

Understanding Circuits

Battery Conductor Resistor Switch

Draw a circuit using the symbols below.

Exam

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