What do you already know about electricity?
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1. Here are two circuits, each with one battery and two light
bulbs. Answer the questions about these two circuits.
A | B |
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Congratulations! You have completed this section. |
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In this activity, you will place electric charges on balloons
and see what they do.
Then you will compare this to a model of charged balloons. |
Engage
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Every object has a huge number of both kinds of charge. If the
number of positive and negative charges is equal, they cancel
each other out and the object is electrically neutral.
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But an object can have slightly more positive than negative charges. Then it becomes positively charged. |
Or it can have slightly more negative than positive charges.
Then it becomes negatively charged.
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Explore
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Explain
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This model was created using a modified PhET model.
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This model was created using a modified PhET model.
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This model was created using a modified
PhET
model.
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Now check Two Balloons and rub each one on the sweater. Then
hide the wool sweater by unchecking the Show sweater box.
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This model was created using a modified PhET model.
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Elaborate
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2. Here's a picture of your experiment with hair and a
balloon. Use the positive and negative stamps to show where
you think the charges are on the balloon and the hair.
Take a snapshot of your drawing. |
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How do electric charges behave?
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In this unit, you will explore how electricity is moved around and transformed into other forms of energy. |
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What is electricity?
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Read the story of "The Electrical Birthday Party" by using the forward and back arrows below. |
Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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Chapter 4
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Chapter 5
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Chapter 6
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Chapter 7
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Electrical birthday party
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In this activity you will explore how to combine positive and negative numbers. |
Engage
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You have a rule for
adding
positive and negative
numbers, which is to
add
a positive or negative square
to the number line. To
subtract
a positive or negative
number,
remove
the right number of squares.
You can also add a positive along with a negative square without changing the amount. |
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Explain
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What are positive and negative numbers?
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In this activity, you will use a computer model to build a circuit that will light two holiday lights with a battery. |
Engage
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Imagine that you have one holiday light and a battery. How
would you connect them to light up the bulb?
Use the drawing tool to make a circuit. You can use the battery stamp and the light stamp .Use the pencil to draw wires. Take a snapshot when you think your circuit will work. This snapshot will be saved in your lab book. |
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Explore
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You will be able to drag two wires, a battery, and a light
bulb into the blue workspace.
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You can connect the pieces any way you want. Drag the ends
(junctions) together to connect them.
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Disconnect the ends by right-clicking on the junction and
choosing "split junction."
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This model was created using a
PhET
model.
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This model was created using a PhET model.
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Explain
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There are two ways to connect light bulbs in a circuit.
In series means "one after the other." Here is a diagram of light bulbs in series. Notice how the charges flow through first one, and then the other bulb, along the same path. |
In parallel means "side by side." Here is a diagram of light bulbs in parallel. Notice how the charges can flow through each bulb along a separate path. |
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Elaborate
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This model was created using a
PhET
model.
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Congratulations! You have completed this activity. |
How do you design a circuit that will light up several bulbs?
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In this activity, you will measure the temperature of a holiday light. |
Engage
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Suppose you could measure all of the light and heat energy
coming out of a regular incandescent bulb.
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Explore
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The fast response temperature sensor has a tiny tip that
measures temperature. Put the tip against the holiday light
and hold it in place with a small piece of clear tape.
Get ready to connect the two leads of the light to the two ends of the battery, but don't do it yet. |
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Slide the tip of the temperature probe in between the bulb and the aluminum foil. |
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Explain
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Elaborate
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What kinds of energy does a bulb produce?
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This activity uses hand generators and capacitors to make and store electricity. |
Engage
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Explore
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Attach the Genecon to a holiday light. Light it up by cranking. Don't go too fast – you may burn out the bulb! |
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Join up with another team so that you have two Genecons. See if you can run one Genecon with another. |
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A capacitor is a special device that stores electric charges. You can picture it as two plates that aren't connected, with extra positive charges on one side and negative charges on the other. When the two sides are connected in a circuit, the charges flow. |
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The capacitor looks like this. The plates are hidden inside it.
You can charge up a capacitor with the Genecon! |
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Connect the Genecon to the capacitor. |
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Connect the holiday light across the capacitor. Keep it
connected for at least 10 seconds. Watch the light bulb.
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Explain
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Elaborate
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In the draw tool, put the number where each of these things
happens:
Take a snapshot of your drawing. |
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How can you make and store electricity?
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What is electricity?
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Now it's time to review and summarize what you have learned
about electricity. To help, you can show all of your snapshots
and some of your written answers from the activities. They are
all in your lab book.
Review the questions on the following pages. There is a separate page for each of the activities that you worked on. Be prepared to share your answers with the rest of the class. |
Electrical birthday
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Light it up!
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Light and heat
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Crank up the lights
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Plus and minus
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Summary
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Password: |
Wrapping up
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1. Here are two circuits, each with one battery and two light
bulbs. Answer the questions about these two circuits.
A | B |
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Press the Right Arrow below to go to the next page. |
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Click the Submit button when you have finished. |
What have you learned about electricity?
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