Circuits

CIRCUITS

Voltage: Electric potential or potential difference expressed in volts.

Current: A flow of electric charge.

Resistance: An opposing or retarding force.

Circuit: The complete path of an electric current including usually the source of electric energy.

Transistors: A solid-state electronic device that is used to control the flow of electricity in electronic equipment and consists of a small block of a semiconductor with at least three electronics.

LEDs: A semi-conductor diode that emits light when a voltage is applied to it and that is used especially in electronic devices.

Capacitor**:** A device giving capitance and usually consisting of conducting plates or foils seperated by thin layers of dielectric with the plates on opposite sides of the dielectric layers oppositely charged by a source of voltage and the electrical energy of the charged system stored in the polarized dielectric.

Resistor**:** A device that has electrical resistance and that is used in an electric circuit for protection, operation, or current control.

Switch**:** A device for making, breaking, or changing the connections in an electric current.

Digital Electronics**:** Computerized technology.

Integrated Circuit**:** A tiny complex of electronic components and their connections that is produced in or on a small slice of material.

Binary Code**:** Uses numbers zero and one to program computers.

Circuit Breaker**:** A switch that automatically interrupts the current of an overloaded electric current.

Conductor**:** A material or object that permits an electric current to flow easily.

Area of Interaction: Environments Significant Concepts: Basic circuits Unit Question: How have circuits impacted our environments? Go to the following site and run the circuit construction kit. The site is:

[|Circuit Link]

Using this site, answer the following questions:

1. Using one battery, make the light bulb work.

a. Volts: 9 Volts

b. Amps: .9 Amps

2. Light two light bulbs with one battery.

a. Volts: 4.5 Volts

b. Amps: .45 Amps

3. Using a switch to light one light bulb.

a. Volts: 9 Volts

b. Amps: .9 Amps

4. Use a capacitor with your circuit. (One battery, one bulb)

a. Volts: Starts at 9 Volts then it will eventually go down to 0 Volts

b. Amps: Starts at .9 Amps then it will eventually go down to 0 Amps

5. Use an inductor in your circuit. (One battery, one bulb)

a. Volts: Starts at 0 Volts then it will eventually go up to 9 Volts

b. Amps: Starts at 0 Amps then it will eventually go up to .9 Amps

6. Use an AC Voltage in your circuit. What happens to the current?

a. Volts: It ranges from -1 to 19 Volts

b. Amps: It ranges from -.1 to 1.9 Amps

7. Which items in the grab bag complete the circuit?

(One battery, one bulb)

a. Dollar Bill no

b. Paper clip yes

c. Penny yes

d. Eraser no

e. Pencil lead yes

f. Hand no

g. Dog no

8. Use a resistor in your circuit. (One battery, one bulb)

a. Volts: 4.5 Volts

b. Amps: .45 Amps

9. Add two batteries to light one light bulb.

a. Volts: 18 Volts

b. Amps: 1.8 Amps

10. Add three batteries to the circuit. Right click on one of the batteries

and change the voltage to 100%. What happens to your batteries?

a. Volts: 99.99 Volts

b. Amps: 10 Amps

11. Make your own circuit

a. Volts: It ranges from 49.35 Volts to 50.6 Volts

b. Amps: It ranges from 49.3 Amps to 5.06 Amps

c. Explain what happened with your circuit: My circuit uses one light bulb, one battery (with the voltage at 100%), one inductor, one resistor, and one AC voltage. The Volts and Amps slowly increase until it gets to about 50 Volts or 5 Amps and then it starts the range of 49 Volts or 4.9 Amps.

d. Describe/draw your circuit below (or take a screen shot):