Curated OER
Series or Parallel?
Emerging electricians extend mental models of light bulbs and resistors in series and or in parallel circuits to include the connection of photovoltaic cells in arrays. They investigate open circuits, using a DC voltmeter, a light...
Curated OER
Solar Kit Lesson #11 - Power Maximum: An Electrical Determination
Collaborative groups connect resistors and solar panels in series and measure electrical resistance, voltage, and current. The objective is to order 16 solar panels from strongest to weakest. They graph current-voltage and power curves...
Curated OER
Series or Parallel?
Physics classes that are studying electricity connect photovoltaic cells into both series and parallel circuits. Inquiry and critical thinking come into play as learners try to determine which circuit is more productive. They associate...
Curated OER
What's a Resistor?
Students determine what a resistor does as they construct parallel circuits. In this circuitry lesson, students experiment with batteries, alligator clips, a resistor and a three-way switch to find out what a resistor does. They continue...
Curated OER
Ohm's Law: Getting There Hands On
Young scientists inductively derive Ohm's Law of voltage, resistance, and current by creating series and parallel circuits with 9-volt batteries and light bulbs. A week's worth of experiments, observation, and hands-on activities are...
Curated OER
Electric Circuits
Students determine the power dissipated in the combination of two resistors connected in series to a 6 volt battery. This task assesses students' abilities to develop procedures for an investigation, develop a plan for recording and...
Curated OER
Series and Parallel Circuits
Young scholars explore the differences between a parallel and a series circuit.In this current lesson students complete several experiments using a light bulb.
Curated OER
Adventures in Electrical Engineering
Students explore electricity by conducting a series of experiments. In this physics instructional activity, students discover the relationship between current, voltage and resistance. They calculate voltage and power in a given system.
Teach Engineering
Introduction to Circuits and Ohm's Law
Take a very basic understanding of circuits and develop a strong understanding of the parts and function of a circuit. This activity is developed to be an independent exploration of circuits from the basics to series and parallel models....
Cornell University
Characterizing a Solar Cell
Young classes are sure to get a charge out of this lesson! Learners experiment with circuits of a solar cell. They practice determining current, voltage, and power for the circuit and maximize the voltage and current of the cell.
College Board
AP Physics 1 and 2 Inquiry-Based Lab Investigations
Have you ever wondered what type of AP Physics investigations The College Board wants? This is the guide for you! Sixteen labs covering both Physics I and II will get you started and inspire you to meet the requirement of 25 percent of...
Curated OER
Please Turn Up the Lights!
Eighth graders discuss series and parallel circuits and design an investigation to test a hypothesis on total resistance of series and parallel circuits in combination. After discussion, groups design their experiments, run tests, and...
Curated OER
Handling Discrepancies
Eleventh graders study the different ways students handle discrepancies. In this Physics lesson, 11th graders perform a laboratory experiment with resistors. Students discuss the ethical issues it raises.
Curated OER
Discovering Ohm's Law
Students explore the relationship of resistance, voltage, and current in series and parallel circuits using a computer model of a circuit board. They discover Ohm's Law by constructing series circuits.
Curated OER
Energy Conversion in Electricity – Resistors and Circuits
Learners explore electrical energy. In this electricity lesson, students design and build a large circuit in order to determine whether circuit size correlates with the light of a bulb.
Curated OER
Ohm's Laws
Students explore the relationship of resistance, voltage and current in series and parallel circuits. Then they discover Ohm's Law by constructing series circuits with one resistor and putting the resultant resistance, current and...
Curated OER
Basic Electric Circuits
Students calculate the resistance across a bank of resistors in a series, parallel and combined circuit. Using new vocabulary words, they define and describe them in a scientific manner. After stating Ohm's Law, they solve electrical...
Curated OER
Introduction to Electric Circuits
High schoolers explore using a circuit board in this physics instructional activity. They will analyze current and battery set up on a circuit board. Teachers check the board before the students experiment.
Curated OER
PHYSICS LESSONS
Young scholars study the concept of electricity, what an electric current is and its relationship between voltage and resistance.In this electrical instructional activity students solve problems using Ohm's law, and research alternative...
Curated OER
An Introduction to Sensors
Students list as many examples as they can of sensors in their homes and/or automobiles, define sensor and discuss what qualifies devices as sensors, explore human eyes as sensors while watching teacher demonstration, recognize that...
Curated OER
AC Filtering With Capacitors
Students investigate the properties of capacitors and discover that capacitors block DC and filter AC. They discover the function of capacitors. Students differentiate between AC and DC power. They explore the role of resistors.
Curated OER
How a Circuit Works
Learners discover the basic principles of circuits by designing and testing some of their own. They are told that circuits usually have a power source such as a battery and a resistor such as a light. Students make a circuit using a...
Trash For Teaching
The Light-House Project
Groups work together to design a lighthouse, from designing and drawing the wiring diagram, to creating prototypes of the switch and circuit, to envisioning and building a scale model along with a blueprint. By including different...
Curated OER
Solar Kit Lesson #11 Power Maximum: An Electrical Determination
Students identify and implement methods to standardize testing stations that measure solar panel output power. After collecting electrical ouptut data from several solar panels, they plot the current-voltage and power curves. Students...