Hands-On-Physics
ELECTRICITY

Messing
Around

- Introduction -


Background

Understanding how to build circuits and to draw and follow circuit diagrams, are basic skills you will use throughout this course. In this unit you'll begin with simple circuits and review or develop some skills and learn the language of electronics. Two of the most important terms are voltage and current. The voltage is the energy difference per charge between two points. If a voltage exists, and the two points are connected, the charge will move and current will flow. Understanding this is vital to using electricity safely. Sustained currents can cause injury, Be cautious!

Tools & Materials


Figure M1
Tools

You will need the tools, wire, buzzers, battery, battery clip, switches, circuit board, solder, light bulbs, multimeter, resistors, and transistor for the messing around activities.

Activities

  1. Soldering --You will solder wires and clip leads.

  2. Simplest circuits--You will wire a buzzer with a switch, using a circuit board.

  3. Series and parallel connections--You will wire light bulbs in various ways to observe the effects of series and parallel circuits.

  4. Using transistors--You will follow a circuit diagram to build a security system that will set off the buzzer when disturbed.

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