Overload, Circuit Breakers, and Compound Circuits

Today we first talked about the purpose of a circuit breaker or fuse and how overload happens. Then we worked on Electricity IV (below) for a bit. If you didn't finish in class, that's homework.

Later we started talking about compound circuits and how to find their total resistance, but we are going to add to and finish those notes on Thursday so I'll post them then.

Review

Welcome back from Spring Break! Today we are reviewing series and parallel circuits. Your homework is Electricity V.

AC/DC

Today we talked briefly about alternating current and direct current, as well as the war between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. We also watched the Epic Rap Battle of History between those two - one of the only ERBs that is school appropriate :)



Another related video is Drunk History: Nicola Tesla. This has some bad language!

Series and Parallel Circuits

Today we named the two types of circuits you made yesterday in your lab: series and parallel. We went over the characteristics of each and did some math. Homework is Concept-Development 35-1.

Circuit Lab II

Today you are lighting two bulbs at once in a qualitative lab. First we practiced drawing circuit diagrams on bellwork, then we started Circuit Lab II. You can continue working on that tomorrow too.

Work Day

A lot of people are gone on that field trip to GCU today, so we're having a work day. Plus period five was at that assembly yesterday...so they can work on Electricity III.

Practice: Electricity III

Today we are just practicing some problems, first on bellwork and then with Electricity  III.

Electrical Power

POWER! Homework tonight is Concept-Development 34-2.

Ohm's Law

Today we talked about the results of your lab as well as how voltage might affect current. Putting those ideas together gave us Ohm's Law. Your homework tonight is Ohm's Law.
We also played with the PhET of Ohm's Law from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Ohm's Law Lab

Today you are completing a short lab to discover how resistance affects the current through a resistor. Your homework is to finish the analysis questions - you'll need graph paper!

Circuit Lab

Today we completed a qualitative lab to light a lightbulb using one wire and one battery. We compared all the ways that worked and found they all had two things in common (see bellwork - it ended up on the board). We also took some brief notes on circuit diagrams. Homework for tomorrow is Concept-Development 34-1 (below).

Electric Current and Resistance

Our block day unfortunately fell on a time just before we're ready to do a lab, so I had to put together two separate lessons. We'll be doing labs on Thursday and Friday instead.

First we discussed electric current:



There is a great xkcd comic about this last thing.

You then had about 10 minutes to complete Electricity II, which was due right then.

Next we moved on to the second lesson about electrical resistance:
We ran out to the cafeteria to figure out the three things, then came back to go over each one and practice:



Finally, your homework for tonight is Resistance.