Learning Outcomes for Electric Circuits


 

Lesson Plans || Learning Outcomes and Activities || Teacher Notes || Labs
 



The list below displays sample learning objectives for the unit on Electric Circuits. The various activities from the Lesson Plans have been organized by objective. This format of organizing The Physics Classroom's activities may be more useful to some teachers than the Lesson Plan format. It is worth noting that the activities identified below only include those activities included on the Lesson Plans and in the Pre-Built Task Tracker courses. Additional activities are referenced on the Teacher Notes page.


 

1. Electric Potential and Electric Potential Difference

Relate electric potential to the energy per charge and the electric potential difference between two locations to the change in energy per charge moved between the two locations; identify the units of electric potential and distinguish between high and low potential locations.
 

Reading:



Video:

Think Sheets:

Minds On Physics:
Mission EC2 on Voltage


CalcPad Problem Sets:
Circuits 1: Circuit Quantities

Circuits 2: Circuit Quantities




 

2. A Model of Charge Flow in a Circuit

Identify the two requirements of an electric circuit; describe charge as marching together through the circuit loop at the same rate at every location, never accumulating nor being used up; describe the conducting components (wires, bulbs, batteries, etc.) of the circuit as being the source of charge and describe the battery as being the energy source that is used to pump the charge uphill from low energy to high energy to establish an electric potential difference across the two ends of the external circuit..
 

Reading:



Video:

Labs:
Lab 1: Sparky the Electrician

Lab 2: First to Light

Lab 3: Greatest Current


Think Sheets:

Concept Builders:



 

3. Current

Define current and identify its unit; mathematically relate current to the quantity of charge and the time; identify the direction of conventional current and compare the current near the + terminal of the battery to the current at all other locations within the circuit.
 

Reading:



Video:

Think Sheets:

Concept Builders:

Minds On Physics:
Mission EC1 on Electric Current


CalcPad Problem Sets:
Circuits 1: Circuit Quantities

Circuits 2: Circuit Quantities





 

4. Resistance

Define resistance and identify the unit of resistance; describe the dependence of wire resistance upon wire length and cross-sectional area; explain the effect of increased resistance upon the current in a circuit.
 

Reading:



Video:

Think Sheets:

Concept Builders:



 

5. Voltage-Current-Resistance Relationship

Relate the current in a simple circuit to the resistance of the circuit and the voltage (electric potential difference accross) of the battery.
 

Reading:



Video:

Labs:
Lab 4 - Voltage-Current-Resistance


Think Sheets:

Concept Builders:

Minds On Physics:
Mission EC4 on Resistance, Voltage, and Current


CalcPad Problem Sets:
Circuits 1: Circuit Quantities

Circuits 2: Circuit Quantities




 

6. Electric Power

Define power and identify the unit of power; relate the power to the energy change and the time and to other circuit quantities like voltage, current, and resistance.
 

Reading:

Video:

Think Sheets:

Concept Builders:

CalcPad Problem Sets:
Circuits 1: Circuit Quantities

Circuits 2: Circuit Quantities




 

7. Comparing Series and Parallel Circuits

Describe the fundamental differences between series and parallel circuits in terms of resistor arrangements and charge pathways; describe the difference in terms of the effect that adding resistors has upon the overall resistance and current.
 

Reading:



Video:

Labs:
Lab 5: Series vs. Parallel


Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:

Concept Builders:


 

8. Series Circuits - Concepts and Mathematics

Discuss the meaning of equivalent resistance (Req) and calculate the Req value for a series circuit. compare the current and the electric potential at the various locations and relate the battery voltage to the individual voltage drops of each resistor; use ∆V=I•R to conduct a complete analysis of a series circuit.

 

Reading:



Video:

Labs:
Lab 6 - Comparing Voltage Drops and Currents in Series


Think Sheets:

Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:

Concept Builders:

Minds On Physics:
Mission EC7 on Series Circuits Concepts

Mission EC9  on Series Circuit Calculations

Mission EC12 on Series and Parallel Circuit Calculations


CalcPad Problem Sets:
Circuits 3: Series Circuits

Circuits 5: Series and Parallel Circuits




 

9. Parallel Circuits - Concepts and Mathematics

Discuss the meaning of equivalent resistance (Req) and calculate the Req value for a parallel circuit; compare the current and the electric potential at the various locations and relate the battery voltage to the individual voltage drops of each resistor; use ∆V=I•R to conduct a complete analysis of a parallel circuit.

 

Reading:



Video:

Labs:
Lab 7 - Comparing Voltage Drops and Currents in Parallel


Think Sheets:

Physics Interactives with Concept Checkers:

Concept Builders:

Minds On Physics:
Mission EC8 on Parallel Circuits Concepts

Mission EC10 on Parallel Circuit Calculations

Mission EC12 on Series and Parallel Circuit Calculations


CalcPad Problem Sets:
Circuits 4: Parallel Circuits

Circuits 5: Series and Parallel Circuits




 

Review Activities





 

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