R15e(Model for Electric Circuits)

CATEGORY:

Physics Education

TARGET:

Elementary school students (4-6th Grade)

Junior high school Students (8th Grade)

Analogy:

mini-lamp(resistor) =： Waterwheel.

Battery =: Boy

Electricity =: Water

Electric current =: Flow of water

Voltage =: Level of water

How to express the phenomena

Model-1 Simple Circuit:

Model-2 Simple Circuit

When a battery is exhausted, ….

Model-3

Two batteries are connected in series.

When two boys are placed in series, water can be lifted higher.

So the speed of the waterwheel increases.

Model-4

Two batteries are connected in parallel.

When two boys are placed in parallel, the level of water is the same as Model-1.

So the speed of the waterwheel is the same.

However, two boys will not be tired so fast.

Model-5

Two resistors are connected in series.

When two waterwheels are placed in series, the water cannot flow smoothly.

So the speed of the waterwheel decreases.

Model-6

Two resistors are connected in parallel.

When two waterwheel are placed in parallel, the water flows as smoothly as Model-1.

Since water can move through two paths, boy has to lift up more frequently.

Thus, the boy will get tired in short time.