Category: Electricity Topic

It looks like some of you are going to be doing the electricity unit online. This is tricky but we’ll try to do as much practical as possible.

Please read the RISK ASSESSMENT IF WORKING FROM HOME

Risk Assessments S1 Electricity.xlsx

Hazard	Control Measures
Rechargeable Cells or PP3s	Do not use rechargeable cells, lithium batteries or PP3s (the flat ones) for your own electrical kits as they have low internal resistance and could cause a high current.
	Use only 1.5 V cells and zinc chloride are safer than alkaline.
	Dispose of these as instructed on the packet once they no longer work. (they should be fine for the whole block)
	Don’t use cells that have leaked- they must not be emitting a liquid or a powdery substance.
	Only use a maximum of 2 x 1.5 V cells at a time.
Kitchen foil	Kitchen foil boxes usually have a sharp edge to cut the foil. Ask a grown up to tear you some off if there is a chance you can cut your finger
Scissors	Beware of sharp edges on scissors
Parcel tape or sellotape	This can be very sticky and pose a risk to pets or young children, ask a grown up to help tape off the home made wires or complete the task well away from young children and pets.
Electrical kit use	Do NOT use your electrical kit near electrical sockets or electrical items.
	Do NOT use near water and other liquids.
Static Experiments	Do NOT do your static experiements near electrical sockets or electrical items.
	Balloons can cause a shock to children and pets if they burst so don’t over blow them or use sharp finger nails. Warn young children and keep away from pets.
Torch	If you take apart a torch do not lose any small parts that can be a choking hazard. Do not use LED torches. Make sure the cells in the torch haven’t leaked. You will know if they have as there will be a white powder or liquid.

These are the Video Links to the S1 Electricity Ohm Comforts Videos

1. Introduction https://youtu.be/__7iAV0WPTc
2. The Atom https://youtu.be/xOGDBiwPKrg
3. Electrical Safety https://youtu.be/rg0dg25Tqdw
4. Static Electricity Experiments https://youtu.be/CqmfXYXPah4
5. The Van de Graaff Generator https://youtu.be/VLyMM7oDu6M
6. How to Light a Light Bulb https://youtu.be/jJF2-mLtMI4
7. Conductors and insulators https://youtu.be/24SzwO_3Wx4
8. Setting up a Multimeter https://youtu.be/CCgr2NpjEso
9. Using Multimeters https://youtu.be/sIwWpmbjjqM
10. Definitions https://youtu.be/xostmRgwtM0
11. Drawing Circuit Symbols https://youtu.be/zQ6g9nxY96U
12. Wrong circuit diagrams https://youtu.be/4oaNdtgbu2E
13. Series Model https://youtu.be/5C71R3rCaOA
14. Parallel Model https://youtu.be/8MOEKDwhRCM https://youtu.be/xxdToredFYI
15. Building circuits https://youtu.be/5NpBHqk4FM0
16. I and V in Series circuits using Phet https://youtu.be/xSMuqn5f-2o
17. I and V in Parallel circuits using Phet https://youtu.be/r8lrZ-0R-Vc
18. Current and Voltage questions
19. Fruity Batteries https://youtu.be/oAASyq0EUwc

Lesson 1

Introduction to Ohm Comforts

You should know that:

Electrical Safety

1. Electrical energy can be dangerous.
2. Recognise some of the dangers of electricity in the home and outside.

Atoms

• All objects are made up of small particles called atoms.
• Inside each atom there are three small particles called neutrons, protons, and electrons.
• A proton has a positive charge.
• An electron has a negative charge.
• A neutron is neutral or uncharged.

Watch the intro video clip for our Electricity Unit.

Watch the two video clips on Electrical Safety.

Electrical safety undated for UK. It does claim about 30 lives a year in the UK so don’t let it be you. Be safe around electricity!

The video below is the UK version of safety in the home.

http://www.twothirtyvolts.org.uk/electrical-safety/around-your-home.html

List 10 things to be aware of to be Electrically Safe, eg don’t put knives into toaster.

Atoms- what are they?

Watch the video -The Atom, write out the passage at the end of the video. Check your answers using the wordwall game (link below)

Check whether you have filled in the answers correctly by trying the wordwall

Draw the diagram of the Model of the Atom or print it out, stick it in and label it.

Lesson 2

Static Experiments

You should know

How to make Electricity.

1. Electric charge can be collected by rubbing two different surfaces together.
2. A Van de Graff Generator produces electric charges.

Check your answers from last lesson on the atom using the wordwall game. Review the work to make sure you could label a model of the atom.

Answer the microsoft Form on the Atom.

Static Electricity

Watch this video on static experiments. Try these at home and pop a picture in the comments of how you get on.

Watch the clips on the Van de Graaff Generator, it is just an effective way of collecting charge. There are instructions to make your own in the electrity notes in another post.

Try some of these experiments. NB styrofoam means polystyrene in the UK and try a plastic ruler if you haven’t got plastic pipe.

Here are the individual videos of the static experiments

Lesson 3 and 4

Lighting a bulb and making your own electrical kit! (or breaking up your old torch)

Conductors and Insulators

Watch the video How to Light a Bulb

Watch the video clip about Making your own Electricital Kit. Try making your own electrical kit and post some photos.

Watch the video clip to improve your circuit and try to put a switch in your own circuit if you make one.

Now use your circuit to test materials for conductors and insulators. Instructions are in the clip below. Don’t forget to record your results in the table shown.

A conductor is a material with free electrons that allows electrons through it. An insulator is a material where additional electrons cannot pass through.

Testing for Conductors and Insulators using your homemade electrical kit

TESTING FOR CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS

Lesson 5

Drawing Circuit Symbols

You should know

Drawing Circuits.

1. Circuit symbols are used to show how circuits can be built.
2. The circuit symbol for a cell, switch, bell, ammeter, voltmeter, lamp, power supply, resistor, wire, connected wire.
3. Make sure that you can draw circuits using the proper symbols and following the rules for drawing circuits.

Lesson 6

Multimeters

You should know

1. A multimeter can be set up to measure current, resistance or voltage.
2. When a multimeter is set up to measure current we call it an ammeter.

Resistance

• Some materials have a high resistance and make it difficult for current to flow.
• A continuity tester can be used to test for conductors and insulators.
• Resistance is a measure of how difficult it is for the charges to move through an object.
• The longer a wire the higher the resistance of the wire.

Voltage.

• For most materials, as you increase the voltage the current increases.
• Potential difference (p.d.) is often called voltage.
• p.d. is the push that makes the charges move around a circuit.
• Voltage is measured in volts.
• Voltage is measured using a voltmeter, symbol V
• Voltmeters are connected in parallel.

Watch the videos and answer the questions in the forms!

Lesson 7

Electrical Definitions

You should know

• When electric charge moves we call it an electric current.
• Current is a flow of charge (or electrons) around a circuit.
• Materials that allow current through them are called electrical conductors.
• Materials that do not allow current through them are called electrical insulators.
• We use the symbol I to represent current.
• Current is measured in amperes or amps.
• Current is measured using an ammeter.
• Ammeters are connected in series.
• The symbol for an ammeter     
• For electrons to flow there must be a complete circuit.
• A multimeter can be set up to measure current, resistance or voltage.
• When a multimeter is set up to measure current we call it an ammeter.
• A multimeter can be set up to measure current, resistance or voltage.
• When a multimeter is set up to measure current we call it an ammeter.
• Some materials have a high resistance and make it difficult for current to flow.

• A continuity tester can be used to test for conductors and insulators.
• Resistance is a measure of how difficult it is for the charges to move through an object.
• The longer a wire the higher the resistance of the wire.

Voltage.

• For most materials, as you increase the voltage the current increases.
• Potential difference (p.d.) is often called voltage.
• p.d. is the difference in the energy the charge carriers have between two points.
• Voltage is measured in volts.
• Voltage is measured using a voltmeter, symbol V
• Voltmeters are connected in parallel.

Use the video to fill in the table of definitions

Ammeter	Charge	Circuit	Conductor
Continuity tester	Current	Insulator	Multimeter
Ohmmeter	Parallel circuit	Potential Difference	Resistance
Series circuit	The effects of a current	Voltage	Voltmeter

Term	Definition
	the difference in the amount of energy that charges have between two points in a circuit.
	electrons passing through a circuit
	a meter to measure many different electrical quantities
	a meter to measure resistance
	a meter to measure voltage
	a meter to measure current
	a complete path for the current to follow
	the quantity of unbalanced positive or negative ions in or on an object
	the difference in the energy held by the charge carriers at any two points in a circuit.
	a material that free electrons can’t pass through
	a material that free electrons can pass through
	heat, light, magnetism and chemical effects
	A circuit to test whether something is a conductor or an insulator, or to find faults in circuits
	a circuit with more than one path for the current to follow
	a circuit with only one path for the current to follow
	is a measure of how difficult it is for a current to move through an object

Lesson 8

Building Circuits

Lesson 9

Modelling Series Circuits and Predicting Current and Voltage in a series circuit.

Series and Parallel Circuits

1. The two types of circuit are called series and parallel.
2. In series circuits the current is the same all round the circuit.
3. In series circuits the voltage across the components adds up to give the voltage of the supply.

Watch the video, it takes you through a model to help us explain series circuits and the rules for current and voltage in a series circuit.

Lesson 10

Modelling Parallel Circuits and Predicting Current and Voltage in a Parallel circuit.

You should know

Series and Parallel Circuits

You should know that

1. The two types of circuit are called series and parallel.
2. In parallel circuits the current splits up and some goes down each branch.
3. In parallel circuits the voltage is the same across each branch.
4. The current drawn from the supply increases the more components are connected in parallel.
5. When lamps are added in parallel the current drawn from the supply increases. This is because the overall resistance of the circuit is reduced.

The Parallel Model.

Watch the video and draw your own Town called Parallel Circuit

Note down what you expect then try things out of the Phet.

Lesson 11

Current and Voltage with Series and Parallel Circuits

You should know

Series and Parallel Circuits

1. The two types of circuit are called series and parallel.
2. In series circuits the current is the same all round the circuit.
3. In parallel circuits the current splits up and some goes down each branch.
4. In series circuits the voltage across the components adds up to give the voltage of the supply.
5. In parallel circuits the voltage is the same across each branch.
6. The current drawn from the supply increases the more components are connected in parallel.
7. When lamps are added in parallel the current drawn from the supply increases. This is because the overall resistance of the circuit is reduced.

The current in series and parallel is a word version of the instructions for the videos above on setting up the Phet to check the rules for current and voltage in a series circuit. It would also be a great introduction to resistance

The current and voltage questions are based on the questions produced by Mr Belford and cover identifying current and voltage readings with series and parallel circuits.

Lesson 12

Fruity Batteries.

You should know

• How to design simple chemical cells and use them to investigate the factors which affect the voltage produced.

https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/fruit-power-battery/