Lesson 2 of 7 · Electricity

Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark Lab

Potential Difference and the Volt

🧪Lab Brief #2

Electricity.

🎯 Your mission

Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.

⚡ The twist

Speed isn't the same as force. Don't mix them up.

🤯

Mind = Blown

🔥 A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.

🔮

Make a hypothesis first

Guess: where does the energy go?

What You'll Learn

Potential difference is the energy transferred per unit charge, V = E/Q, measured in volts. A 12 V supply gives each coulomb 12 joules. Voltmeters are connected in parallel across a component because they compare energy at two points.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

low-voltage supply
two lamps
voltmeter
connecting leads

Safety First

Low-voltage supply only.
Lamps get hot — let them cool before handling.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.

Step 2 — Do

Connect two lamps in series and measure the potential difference across each and across the supply. Check that the two component readings add to the supply reading, then repeat with unequal lamps.

Step 3 — Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 — Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 2

A voltmeter is connected:

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

🌍

Where you see this in real life

This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.

🏆

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.

👨‍👩‍👧

For the dinner table

“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”

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