Year 11 students, check the dates!
Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter everywhere. Understanding the difference in the microstructure of conductors, semiconductors and insulators makes it possible to design components and build electric circuits. Many circuits are powered with mains electricity, but portable electrical devices must use batteries of some kind. Electrical power fills the modern world with artificial light and sound, information and entertainment, remote sensing and control. The fundamentals of electromagnetism were worked out by scientists of the 19th century. However, power stations, like all machines, have a limited lifetime. If we all continue to demand more electricity this means building new power stations in every generation – but what mix of power stations can promise a sustainable future?
Lesson Objectives:
Compare the electrical properties of protons, neutrons, electrons, and ions.
Use the concept of electric fields to explain why charged objects interact.
Describe how objects become charged in terms of electron transfer.
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Lesson Objectives:
Interpret simple circuit diagrams to construct a simple electrical circuit.
Construct an electrical circuit and accurately measure the current.
Describe the operation of a variable resistor and a diode and their effects on current.
Calculate the charge transferred by a steady current in a given time.
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Lesson Objectives:
State Ohm’s law and describe its conditions.
Calculate the potential difference by using the relationship V=E÷Q.
Calculate the resistance of a component by using the relationship R=V÷I.
Measure the effect of changing the length of a wire on its resistance in a controlled experiment.
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Lesson Objectives:
Identify the key characteristics of electrical devices (e.g., the resistance of a thermistor depends on temperature).
Describe the resistance characteristics of a filament lamp.
Describe the characteristics of a diode and light-emitting diode.
Investigate the resistance characteristics of a thermistor and a LDR.
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Lesson Objectives:
Find the potential difference across a component in a circuit by using the p.d. rule.
Calculate the current in a series circuit containing more than one resistor.
Investigate the resistance of series circuits with several components.
Measure the p.d. across parallel circuits and explain any discrepancies.
Describe the effect on the resistance in a circuit of adding a resistor in parallel.
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Lesson Objectives:
Describe the characteristics of the UK mains supply (50 Hz, ~230 V).
Compare a.c. traces in terms of period and amplitude (voltage).
Describe how the trace on an oscilloscope changes when the frequency or amplitude of the signal is changed.
Describe why a short circuit inside a device presents a hazard.
Identify a variety of electrical hazards associated with plugs and sockets.
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Lesson Objectives:
Calculate the power of systems by using the relationship P= E/t.
Calculate the power of electrical devices by using the relationship P=IV.
Select an appropriate fuse for a device by using the relationship I=P/V.
Calculate the electrical heating caused by resistance by using the relationship P=I2R.
Study Resources:
Lesson Objectives:
Calculate the power of systems by using the relationship P= E/t.
Calculate the power of electrical devices by using the relationship P=IV.
Select an appropriate fuse for a device by using the relationship I=P/V.
Calculate the electrical heating caused by resistance by using the relationship P=I2R.
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