Results

• Explain basic electricity relationships in series and parallel circuits.
• Use an ammeter and voltmeter to take readings in circuits.
• Provide reasoning to explain the measurements and relationships in circuits.
• Build circuits from schematic drawings.
• Determine if common objects are conductors or insulators.
• Compare and contrast AC and DC circuits.
• Describe how capacitors and inductors behave in a circuit.
• Experimentally determine the RC time constant.
• Construct RLC circuits and determine the conditions for resonance.

The amount of effort saved when using machines is called mechanical advantage (MA). Simple machines use mechanical advantage as a key property to their functionality, helping humans perform tasks that would require more force than a person could produce. We will use the lever as an example of a simple machine to illustrate the concept of mechanical advantage.

This podcast (audio) file explains how electric current can be obtained from the sun through the solar panel using direct illumination of the sun rays

In this unit we will learn how these factors can affect the output of a simple machine. We will also learn about the difference between ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) and actual mechanical advantage (AMA), and how to apply your knowledge to calculate the efficiency of various simple machines.

• Predict how current will change when resistance of the circuit is fixed and voltage is varied.
• Predict how current will change when voltage of the circuit is fixed and resistance is varied.

Electrical devices convert the electrical energy carried by the charges into other types of energy such as heat, sound, and motion. Components in the appliance resist the flow of charge and are referred to as resistors. In this unit1 you will understand what resistance is, the factors that affect the resistance and the relationship between resistance and current.

Most of us use electricity every day in many different ways so it is important that we understand the dangers, or hazards, associated with electricity and we know how to use it safely.

What are simple machines? Simple machines are tools that make work easier. They have few or no moving parts. These machines use energy to do work with one movement. They make our work easier by letting us use less mechanical effort to move an object.

When a circuit is connected and complete, charge can move through the circuit. Charge will not move unless there is a reason, a force to drive it around the circuit. Think of it as though charge is at rest and some- thing has to push it along. This means that work needs to be done to make charge move. A force acts on the charges, doing work, to make them move. The force is provided by the battery in the circuit.