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
Circ
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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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