Final review: bringing together ideas about circuits

Bringing together ideas about circuits

The final part of the electric circuits topic brings together all of the ideas introduced in the preceding episodes to think through a range of different circuits.

Four different circuits to work through

For each circuit you can work through key questions, starting with what actually happens when the circuit is completed:

What happens? What do you see happening when the circuit is completed? Can you produce a description in terms of the electric circuit model? Explain what happens in terms of the charged particles moving around the circuit and the which elements shift energy. Can you produce a description in terms of a teaching model? How would you draw on the rope loop teaching model to help explain this circuit to pupils? Can you produce a description in terms of current, voltage? What is the electric current in different parts of this circuit? Explain the value of the electric current in the different parts. What is the voltage drop across each bulb in this circuit? Explain the value of the voltage drop across each bulb. Can you predict the power output from bulb? What is the power output of each bulb in this circuit? Explain the value of the power output from each bulb.

You can find out more in the SPT: Electricity and energy topic.