We solve a circuit by direct application of the fundamental laws: Apply element laws (Ohm's Law and the like) plus Kirchhoff's Laws to solve for the currents and voltages of a circuit.

Circuit analysis is the process of finding all the currents and voltages in a network of connected components. We look at the basic elements used to build circuits, and find out what happens when elements are connected together into a...

Review how to find the equivalent resistance for resistors in parallel and series configurations. Recall the current and voltage properties of series and parallel configurations of resistors.

Simulating J.J. Thomson's discovery of the electron. Participate in a simulation where two electrodes are connected to a high voltage source and see them produce cathode rays.

In this interactive lesson unit, students will learn about electric fields and charge density. They will explore electric field diagrams and learn how they are used, as well as discover electrostatic potential energy and how it relates...

Objects that glow in the dark hold a special place in the imagination of both children and adults. The lights go out at night, but these odd things refuse to disappear. Where does the light come from? Do they work in any climate? In this...

Arrange positive and negative charges in space and view the resulting electric field and electrostatic potential. Plot equipotential lines and discover their relationship to the electric field. Create models of dipoles, capacitors, and...

Students build a saltwater circuit, which is an electrical circuit that uses saltwater as part of the circuit. Students investigate the conductivity of saltwater, and develop an understanding of how the amount of salt in a solution...

In this hands-on activity, students build their own two-cell battery. They also determine which electrolyte solution is best suited for making a battery.

Students investigate circuits and their components by building a basic thermostat. They learn why key parts are necessary for the circuit to function, and alter the circuit to optimize the thermostat temperature range. They also gain an...

During this activity, students create a working radio by soldering circuit components supplied from an AM radio kit. Since this activity is carried out in conjunction with the associated lessons concerning circuits and how an AM radio...

Students act as engineers to apply what they know about how circuits work in electrical/motorized devices to design their own battery-operated model motor vehicles with specific paramaters. They calculate the work done by the vehicles...

Students teams each use a bar magnet, sheet of paper and iron shavings to reveal the field lines as they travel around a magnet. They repeat the activity with an electromagnet made by wrapping thin wire around a nail and connecting...

This lab demonstrates Ohm's law as students set up simple circuits each composed of a battery, lamp and resistor. Students calculate the current flowing through the circuits they create by solving linear equations. After solving for the...

Students are briefly introduced to Maxwell's equations and their significance to phenomena associated with electricity and magnetism. Basic concepts such as current, electricity and field lines are covered and reinforced. Through...

Students learn about electricity and air pollution while building devices to measure volatile organic compounds (VOC) by attaching VOC sensors to prototyping boards. In the second part of the activity, students evaluate the impact of...

In this science fair project, use a calorimeter with an attached heating element to measure how water responds to added thermal energy.

A simple science fair project to test whether electricity can flow between two things. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction, followed by a section on terms,...

Investigate the nervous system by looking at nerve cells in this virtual lab. This lab exercise allows students to experience a virtual dissection of a leech to use electronic equipment to explore the electrical activity of nerve cells....

Build your own windmill and see how the wind can be converted into energy to produce electricity. This science fair project should help you understand the use of wind as a source of alternative energy. The Science Buddies project ideas...

This site has information on how facilitated diffusion of ions takes place through proteins, or assemblies of proteins, embedded in the plasma membrane. Includes a helpful diagram.

This site is from the Physics Department at Georgia State University. The conservation of energy as a fundamental conservation law is presented and compared to other conservation laws (momentum and angular momentum). Links to further...

Applying discoveries Michael Faraday had made a few decades earlier, William Stanley designed the first commercial transformer for Westinghouse in 1886.

This tutorial is devoted to an understanding of electric potential difference and its application to the movement of charge in electric circuits. Take the interactive quiz to assess your understanding.