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Ohm's Law (simulation)

Lesson Plan

Ohm's Law (simulation)

Grade Levels

6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade

Course, Subject

Related Academic Standards
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  • Big Ideas
    A technological world requires that humans develop capabilities to solve technological challenges and improve products for the way we live.
    Energy can be transferred between objects and/or can be converted into different forms.
    Technological design is a creative process that anyone can do which may result in new inventions and innovations.
    Technological literacy is the ability to use, assess and manage technology around us.
    Waves carry energy from one location to another without the transfer of matter.
  • Concepts
    A technological design & problem solving process changes ideas into a final product or system.
    Electricity is the result of converting one form of energy into another and the flow of electrons via a conductor.
    Energy can be transferred thermally, mechanically, electrically or chemically in a system.
    Energy can take many different forms including mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electromagnetic.
    Energy is conserved (Law of conservation of energy).
    Heat energy is transferred between objects or regions by the process of convection, conduction, or radiation.
    In a technological world, inventions and innovations must be carefully assessed by individuals and society as a whole.
    Innovation is the process of improving an existing product, process, or system.
    Innovation is the process of modifying an existing product, process, or system to improve it.
    Invention is a process of creating new products, processes, or systems.
    Invention is a process of turning ideas and imagination into new products, processes, or systems.
    Inventions and innovations must be carefully assessed by individuals and society.
    Mechanical waves can be classified according to their movement, standing or compression, and according to their direction of oscillation, which can be transverse or longitudinal.
    People select, create, and use science and technology and are limited by constraints (e.g. social and physical).
    Safety is a preeminent concern for all technological development and use.
    Safety is one of the most important concerns for all technological development and use.
    Sound and light energy are transmitted by waves.
    Technological design & problem solving follows many steps.
    Technological design & problem solving includes both formative and summative analysis.
    Technological design & problem solving includes clearly communicated solutions.
    Technological design & problem solving includes frequent checking.
    Technological design & problem solving requires hands-on applications.
    Technological design & problem solving requires the ability to clearly communicate engineered solutions.
    Technological design & problem solving requires the application of hands-on abilities such as sketching, prototyping, and fabricating.
    Technological design & problem solving transforms an idea into a final product or system.
    Technological design & problem solving utilizes a series of steps that take place in a well-defined sequence.
    Technological literacy is a lifetime endeavor.
    Technological literacy is necessary for a productive 21st century skilled workforce.
    Technological literacy is required for all citizens in a democratic society for shared decision-making.
    Technological literacy is the ability to understand, use, assess, design, and produce technology (i.e. Invention & Innovation).
    Technology and society mutually impact each other.
    The abilities required in a technological world include diagnosing, troubleshooting, analyzing and maintaining systems.
    The abilities required in a technological world include understanding, fixing, and maintaining systems.
    The Doppler Effect occurs when the frequency of a wave appears to change due to variations in position between the source and the observer.
    Waves can be characterized by their velocity, frequency, wavelength, amplitude, and period.
    Waves interact with matter by reflection and/or refraction, which can result in changes in wavelength and frequency.
  • Competencies
    Create a new product, process, or system.
    Demonstrate understanding of the transfer of energy of waves using lenses, mirrors, and simple musical instruments (string or wind).
    Describe sources and forms of energy and explain their transformations.
    Develop skills for a 21st century workforce.
    Improve an existing product, process, or system.
    Safely use tools, machines, and electronic devices.
    Use design and problem solving skills to solve technological challenges.

Rationale

To address the stand 3.2.6.B4 deriving Ohm's law

Vocabulary

Voltage, Current, Resistance, Ohm's Law, Circuit

Objectives

The students will investiage ohm's law using a circuit simulation

Lesson Essential Question(s)

How are voltage, current, and resistance related?

Duration

30 minutes

Materials

Ohm's law simulation from PhET

Suggested Instructional Strategies

Instructional Procedures

1. Load the Ohm's Law simulation

2. Use the sliders to change the value for the Voltage (marked as V) and the Resistance (marked with the greek letter Omega Ω) observe that the value for the Current (marked in milliAmps mA) changes.

3.  Increase the voltage while keeping the resistance constant.  What happens to the current?

 

4. Decrease the voltage while keeping the resistance constant.  What happens to the current?

 

 

5. Increase the resistance while keeping the voltage constant.  What happens to the current?

 

 

6. Decrease the resistance while keeping the voltage constant.  What happens to the current?

 

 

7. Set the Voltage to 1 V and resistance to 200Ω.  Record  the resulting current.

 

8. Leaving the resistance the same, set the voltage to 2 V.  What happened to the current when you doubled the voltage?

 

9. What voltage do you think you would need to set the voltage to in order to double the current again? Why? Try it and check your prediction.

 

 

 

10. Set the voltage to 4V and the resistance to 200Ω.  Record the resulting current.

 

11. What do you think will happen if you set the resistance to 400Ω?  Why? Check your prediction.

 

 

12. What do you think will happen if you set the resistance to 100Ω?  Why? Check your prediction.

 

13.  Summarize your finding.  Describe what happens to the current in a circuit when we change the voltage, and what happens to the current when we change resistance.  This relationship is known as Ohm's Law, named after German Physicist Georg Ohm, who first described it in 1827.

 

Formative Assessment

Students will record their observations and answer questions about Ohm's Law.

Related Materials & Resources

Ohm's law simulation

 

Potential extentions using simulations:

Battery-Resistance Circuit simulation

DC Circuit Construction Kit

Author

William Bradley

Content Collections

Date Published

October 20, 2010
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