Lesson 1 of 7 · Electricity
Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabCharge, Current and the Coulomb
Electricity.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.
Mind = Blown
🎢 You feel weightless on a roller coaster because you and the seat are falling at the same speed.
Make a hypothesis first
Predict: what happens if you double the force?
What You'll Learn
Electric current is the rate of flow of charge: I = Q/t, measured in amperes. One ampere is one coulomb of charge passing a point each second. In a metal the carriers are free electrons, drifting slowly even though the signal travels almost instantly.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- cell or low-voltage supply
- lamp
- ammeter
- connecting leads
- stopwatch
Safety First
- Use batteries or a low-voltage supply only — never mains electricity.
- Disconnect the cell between changes so components do not overheat.
Steps
Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.
Build a simple series circuit with a cell, lamp and ammeter. Record the current, then run it for a timed two minutes and calculate the total charge that passed through the lamp.
Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.
Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2A current of 3 A flows for 20 s. The charge transferred is:
Where you see this in real life
You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.
For the dinner table
“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”
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Charge, Current and the Coulomb
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
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