Teaching Electricity by Analogy

Teaching Electricity by Analogy

Nobody has ever seen an electron Electricity is an abstract concept If we teach a related concrete idea first, then

the abstract idea will be easier to understand

Drama is fun to use because it necessitates student engagement

Drama: Current Analogy Get three volunteers to each count the class

Oops! – ambiguity No need to recount Digits come in groups of 20 (normally) – called people

Electrons come in groups of about 6,250,000,000,000,000,000 called Coulombs

Electric Current Analogy using DramaDigits are electrons

People are CoulombsMinutes are secondsCounters are ammeters

A Power Pack is an electron “waver-on”

Series Circuit

A

A A

Series Circuit Analogy - Current

Concrete version of abstract idea

Electrons are not “used up”

A real circuit on a bench will be more understandable

And what’s obvious to the participants….

Current in series is the

same everywhere

Parallel Circuit

A

A

A

Parallel Circuit Analogy – CurrentDrama is a concrete version of an abstract idea


Again, what’s obvious to the participants…

Current in parallel is shared

A summary of the behaviour of current

Current in parallel is shared and

Current in series is the same

Energy Couriers continued

E


E, PE


E, PE, EPE


E, PE, EPE, EPED

Energy Couriers continuedE, PE, EPE, EPED(or “Voltage” if you must)

Two tongued electron taster

or EPED meteror Voltmeter

Simple Circuit

Simple Circuit

V

V

Simple Circuit

V

Simple Circuit

The energy given to a circuit by the power pack is ……………….. the energy used up by the light-bulb

Simple Circuit

The energy given to a circuit by the power pack is the same as the energy used up by the light-bulb

Simple Circuit

The energy given to a circuit by the power pack is equal to the energy used up by the light-bulb

Parallel Circuit

Parallel Circuit

V

V

V

Parallel Circuit

V

Energy Couriers

Electrons carry energyTherefore, so do CoulombsWe can model this with a person (or a “Coulomb”) carrying water in a beaker

The water represents energy. A full beaker is 12 Joules (for THAT Coulomb)

Parallel Circuit Analogy - Voltage



And what is obvious to the participants…

Voltage in parallel is the same

Series Circuit

Series Circuit

V

V

V

Series Circuit

V

Series Circuit Analogy - Voltage



Again, what is obvious to the participants

Voltage in series is shared

Series & Parallel: Voltage & Current Summary Version 1

Series Parallel


Series Parallel

Voltage

Current


Series Parallel

Voltage

Current Same


Series Parallel

Voltage Same

Current Same


Series Parallel

Voltage Shared Same

Current Same


Series Parallel

Voltage Shared Same

Current Same Shared


Parallel Series


Parallel Series

Voltage

Current


Parallel Series

Voltage

Current Same


Parallel Series

Voltage Same

Current Same


Parallel Series

Voltage Same Shared

Current Shared Same


Series

Parallel


Series This will be left

Parallel



for you to fill in.

Parallel



for you to fill in.

Parallel You will find the



for you to fill in.

Parallel You will find the

pattern works.

Teaching Electricity by Analogy

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