Battery-Resistor Circuit: Interplay between the Voltage, Resistance, Current, and Temperature in a Conductor
PHET 8 Battery-Resistor Circuit
Name Course Date
Learning Goals
To visualize the interplay between the voltage, resistance, current and temperature in a conductor
Check “show battery” and “show cores”, watch what happens, adjust some variables
1. Why do electrons (blue dots) move? The flow of current (+) is opposite to the flow of the electrons. ; note if toward or away from + terminal of the battery.
The electrons move due to voltage of the battery,so the battery causes an electric field which make the electrons experience a force because of that field. The current flow on the opposite direction of the electrons, on the other hand the flow of electrons move toward the positive side of the battery.
2. What does the Ammeter (on the left) measure? How is this shown in the sim? The Ammeter measures an amperes the current flowing.
3. What role do the “green dots” in the resistor play in the sim? What do you think they represent? What does this tell you about the effect of resistors in a circuit? The role of the green dots in the resistor is that they are putting resistance on electrons flowing through. They represent holes that created by the movement of electrons. The resistors resist the flow of the charge.
4. Increase the resistance (# green dots). What effect does this have on temperature? WHY? The temperature gets cold when we increased the resistance because the electrons do not flow through the wire faster like they did before.
5. When the circuit gets hotter, what effect does this have on current? Explain using kinetic-molecular theory. When the circuit gets hotter the current increases due to fast movement of the electrons that flow. The traveling electron comes from kinetic-molecular theory which explain the number of particles are in constant motion.
6. To make the circuit “cold”, what do you need to do? WHY?we need to adjust the voltage because when we turn the
Name Course Date
Learning Goals
To visualize the interplay between the voltage, resistance, current and temperature in a conductor
Check “show battery” and “show cores”, watch what happens, adjust some variables
1. Why do electrons (blue dots) move? The flow of current (+) is opposite to the flow of the electrons. ; note if toward or away from + terminal of the battery.
The electrons move due to voltage of the battery,so the battery causes an electric field which make the electrons experience a force because of that field. The current flow on the opposite direction of the electrons, on the other hand the flow of electrons move toward the positive side of the battery.
2. What does the Ammeter (on the left) measure? How is this shown in the sim? The Ammeter measures an amperes the current flowing.
3. What role do the “green dots” in the resistor play in the sim? What do you think they represent? What does this tell you about the effect of resistors in a circuit? The role of the green dots in the resistor is that they are putting resistance on electrons flowing through. They represent holes that created by the movement of electrons. The resistors resist the flow of the charge.
4. Increase the resistance (# green dots). What effect does this have on temperature? WHY? The temperature gets cold when we increased the resistance because the electrons do not flow through the wire faster like they did before.
5. When the circuit gets hotter, what effect does this have on current? Explain using kinetic-molecular theory. When the circuit gets hotter the current increases due to fast movement of the electrons that flow. The traveling electron comes from kinetic-molecular theory which explain the number of particles are in constant motion.
6. To make the circuit “cold”, what do you need to do? WHY?we need to adjust the voltage because when we turn the