Circuit Builder Gizmo

Last updated almost 8 years ago

11 questions

Note from the author:

Students will build a virtual electric circuit and answer questions.

What do a light bulb, a toaster, a radio, and a computer all have in common?

Suppose you connect a battery to a small light bulb with a single wire. What do you think will happen? Explain your answer.

Now try to light the bulb with the smallest number of components. Draw your ciruit in this space.

Based on what you have seen, what must be true for a circuit to light a bulb?

What materials will CLOSE a circuit?
Conductors are materials with easily moveable charges, allowing current to occur.
Insulators do not have easily movable charges, so current is not produced.

Look at the nine Materials in the lower left of the Gizmo. Select all that you think will be conductors. (There is no right or wrong answer, just make a prediction!)

Look at the nine Materials in the lower left of the Gizmo. Select all that you think will be insulators. (There is no right or wrong answer, just make a prediction!)

Experiment: Drag each material into the gap of the open circuit you made. If the light bulb lights, the material is a conductor. If not, the material is an insulator. Keep track of your findings below.

Circuit Builder Gizmo

What do a light bulb, a toaster, a radio, and a computer all have in common?

Suppose you connect a battery to a small light bulb with a single wire. What do you think will happen? Explain your answer.

Now try to light the bulb with the smallest number of components. Draw your ciruit in this space.

Based on what you have seen, what must be true for a circuit to light a bulb?

Look at the nine Materials in the lower left of the Gizmo. Select all that you think will be conductors. (There is no right or wrong answer, just make a prediction!)

Look at the nine Materials in the lower left of the Gizmo. Select all that you think will be insulators. (There is no right or wrong answer, just make a prediction!)

Experiment: Drag each material into the gap of the open circuit you made. If the light bulb lights, the material is a conductor. If not, the material is an insulator. Keep track of your findings below.

Which materials were conductors? (There ARE right or wrong answers for this one.)

Which materials were insulators? (There ARE right or wrong answers for this one.)

What kind of material are most conductors made of?

Did any conductor have a different effect on the light bulb than the others? Which one? What happened?