Education Technology


Physical Science: DC Circuits

by Texas Instruments - Simulation Lesson

Objectives

  • Students will explore an animation of particle flow in a battery.
  • Students will vary the electron flow in a DC circuit with a battery of varying voltages and one, two, and three resistors.
  • Students will observe changes in current (milliamps) with varying voltage and resistance.
  • Students will describe a direct current both qualitatively and quantitatively.
  • Students will use the formula Voltage = Current + Resistance (V=IR).

Vocabulary

  • Current
  • DC Circuit
  • Battery
  • Resistance
  • Amps and milliamps
  • Resistors
  • Ohms
  • Voltage
  • Volts

About the Lesson

In this lesson, students will address the fact that a direct current flowing in a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference between its ends (V=I•R, where V is the potential difference, or voltage, I is the current, and R is the resistance of the conductor).

As a result, students will:

  • Explore the simulation of a DC Circuit.
  • Develop the relationship V=I•R with a simulated DC Circuit.
  • Calculate voltage, resistance, or current of several DC Circuits.
  • Explore the formula beyond the simulation and use the simulation to verify.
  • Discuss the rate and direction of the flow of electrons in the DC Circuit.