These activities, from the Institute of Physics, look at electrical circuits. They provide a review of previous knowledge and introduce the language needed to cope with the greater depth of learning at post-16 level. Activities include: • a discussion about electrical circuits to reinforce knowledge and highlight...

From the Institute of Physics, this learning episode looks at the resistance of a metal and a semiconductor, giving a microscopic explanation of how resistance can vary with temperature. There is also a brief look at superconductivity and its applications.

LDRs (light dependent resistors) are semiconductor devices. From the Institute of Physics, in this learning episode students investigate the resistance of an LDR at different light intensities. This can be used as a basis to explain how photons liberate free electrons...

In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students see how and why the resistance of a wire depends on the wire’s dimensions. They learn the definition of resistivity and use it in calculations.

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Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode helps students to investigate the effective resistance of circuits with components in series and parallel. The activities include demonstrations, worked examples and student investigations.

In these activities, from the Institute of Physics, the concept of electrical power is explored. Students find that the energy transferred by an electrical component depends on the potential difference, current and the time for which it operates.

From the Institute of Physics, this learning episode links Kirchhoff’s circuit laws to the conservation of charge and energy. Students can verify the laws experimentally and use them to solve simple circuit problems.

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Produced by the Institute of Physics, this student experiment introduces the use of a potential divider as a source of variable potential difference. Students also learn to use potential dividers to detect temperature or light levels.

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode can be used to revises the idea of electromotive force (emf), introduce internal resistance and the consequent energy losses.

The activities include:
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In this learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, students derive the equation relating electromotive force (emf), terminal potential difference, current and internal resistance. They then tackle questions about the internal resistance of a power supply.

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode helps students to distinguish alternating from direct currents before revising why alternating current (ac) is so important.

The range of activities include...

In this learning episode from the Institute of Physics, students are introduced to capacitors. Through practical investigations, students look at their charge and discharge process.

The activities include:
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This learning episode, from the Institute of Physics, helps students understand how capacitors charge and the concept of capacitance. Students investigate the relationship between charge and potential difference across a capacitor.

Produced by the Institute of Physics, this learning episode looks at the energy stored in a capacitor. Students undertake a practical investigation to look at the energy stored and how this varies with potential difference and capacitance.

In this learning episode from the Institute of Physics, students investigate and characterise the exponential discharge of a capacitor.

Activities include:
• looking at exponential discharge
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