Curated OER
Galvanometers
Students construct their own galvanometer. In this physics lesson, students explain how it is used to detect electric current. They conduct an experiment to measure how much electricity flows through the circuit.
Concord Consortium
Target Game—Free Play
Challenge your classes to use electric fields to hit a target. Scholars place positively and negatively charged particles on a game board to direct a charged particle to a target. They can choose to view the electric field and force on...
Curated OER
Lenz's Law
Students conduct a series of experiments on electromagnetic induction. In this physics lesson, students apply the right hand rule to determine the current direction and electromotive force. They test Lenz's and Faraday's law by observing...
Curated OER
Magnetic Domain
Students participate in activities in which they examine magnetic domains. They analzye how different colored metals and how they react to magnets.
Curated OER
Properties of Magnets
High schoolers determine the physical properties of magnets. They analyze the size, number of poles and strength of the magnets. They make observations of what happens to magnets when they are placed next to each other.
Exploratorium
Modulated Coil
Transmit sound with an electromagnet. Class members follow the provided direction and build an electromagnet that will transmit sound though a cassette-tape player. As as extension they create an air core electromagnet and compare its...
Rice University
College Physics for AP® Courses
Take a look at an organized physics course. The 34-section electronic textbook covers material in AP® Physics 1 and 2. Teachers use the text to supplement lectures and have the class work through the labs. Each section contains multiple...
Curated OER
Riding the Radio Waves
Students examine the basic concepts of radio waves and magnetic fields. They study how the AM radios are built and demonstrate the concepts of amplitude and frequency.
Exploratorium
Eddy Currents
Make electromagnetic eddy currents evident with this demonstration. You will need to gather a few materials from the local hardware store and a strong neodymium magnet, but the visual value is well worthwhile.
Colorado State University
What Makes a Gas, a Greenhouse Gas?—The Carbon Dioxide Dance
Investigate a heated topic in environmental science. Scholars team up to play the parts of gas molecules in the atmosphere. As the teacher moves about, acting as the electromagnetic wave, learners react as their molecules would to the...
Curated OER
Reed Switch
Learners build simple electromagnetic reed switch motors. In this physics lesson, students explain how it works. They cite real world applications of reed switches and relays.
LABScI
Circuits Lab: Lightbulbs
Electrons flow from negative to positive, but the general consensus is that current flows from positive to negative. Scholars explore current through construction of circuits in both series and parallel. The focus is on voltage,...
It's About Time
AC and DC Currents
An informative physics lesson includes two teacher demonstrations, one on AC currents and the other on DC currents, allowing pupils to take notes while watching. The resource includes questions to assign as homework or during class...
Curated OER
The Invention of Faraday Cage
Students demonstrate how Faraday's cage work by building their own electroscope. In this physics lesson, students explain how Faraday's cage work. They cite several applications of this principle in the real world.
Curated OER
WAVES AND PHOTONS
Students examine the many types of electromagnetic waves, the concept of an EM wave, how James Clerk Maxwell proposed a slight modification of the equations of electricity, Heinrich Hertz and his radio-frequency, wavelengths, and light...
It's About Time
Electromagnets
Young scientists build their own electromagnet and test it by picking up paperclips. Analysis questions evaluate knowledge at the end of the activity.
Curated OER
Build a Simple Ammeter
Pupils build and work with a simple ammeter to test theories on why solar cells connected in parallel produce more current that in series. Students use the ammeter to indicate the presence, direction, and strength of an electric current...
Curated OER
Coulomb's Law
Students solve problems involving electric charges and force. In this physics lesson, student solve word problems using addition and subtraction of vectors. They identify the direction represented by a vector as it relates to an electric...
Curated OER
Homopolar Motor Experiments
Students construct a homopolar motor following certain procedures. In this physics lesson plan, students explain how generators and motors work. They compare and contrast the characteristics of both.
Curated OER
Electromagnetic Radiation
Learners explore the nature of electromagnetic spectrum through a series of experiments. In this physics instructional activity, students determine how light behaves under certain circumstances. They explain how humans perceive colors.
Curated OER
Electromagnets
Students conduct a series of experiments on electromagnets. In this physics lesson, students build their own electromagnet and explain how it works. They determine the factors that affect its strength.
Curated OER
Waves: Sound and Light
A few definitions related to waves open this slide show. Note that the information only covers light waves even though the title mentions sound. Correct the title before using this resource. Another mention is a set of photos of a class...
Colorado State University
Why Is the Sky Purple?
The color of the sky depends on the time of day. Young scholars experiment with scattering different wavelengths of light to recreate the color of the sky. They observe both the longer blue wavelengths and the shorter red and orange...
Colorado State University
What Is Beyond the Rainbow?
Help your classes see what they cannot see. Using different eyewear, scholars experience different light spectrums. Learners may be surprised by how the world looks with infrared light, thermal imaging, and ultraviolet light.