https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/ohms-law
Lab Overview
Ohm's Law
This lab guides students in exploring the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance using Ohm’s Law. Through the PhET Ohm’s Law simulation, students will manipulate variables to observe how they interact within a circuit, gaining practical insight into this foundational principle of electricity. This virtual lab is designed to reinforce students’ understanding of electrical circuits and the mathematical relationships involved.
Learning Objectives
Aligned with the Victorian Curriculum, students will:
- VCSSU133: Investigate and describe the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance in electrical circuits.
- VCSSU134: Apply scientific knowledge to understand and predict the behavior of electrical components.
By the end of this lab, students should be able to:
- Explain the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance as described by Ohm’s Law (V = IR).
- Predict how changes in resistance or voltage affect current.
- Calculate values of voltage, current, or resistance when given the other two.
ACARA Digital Literacy Capabilities
- Generate solutions to challenges: Applying digital simulations to solve for voltage, current, or resistance.
- Create content: Documenting observations and results using digital content tools.
Lab Instructions
- Access the Simulation: PhET Ohm’s Law Simulation.
- Explore Voltage, Current, and Resistance:
- Start by adjusting the voltage slider and observe how it impacts the current while keeping resistance constant.
- Set voltage to a fixed value, then adjust the resistance slider and observe its effect on current.
- Confirming Ohm’s Law:
- Use the values shown for voltage, current, and resistance to calculate each according to Ohm’s Law (V = IR).
- Compare your calculations to the values displayed in the simulation to reinforce the mathematical relationship.
- Experiment with Extreme Values:
- Set resistance to very high and very low values and observe the impact on current.
- Note how the simulation visually represents these changes and relate them to real-world circuit scenarios.
Assessment Questions
- Describe how increasing voltage affects current when resistance is constant.
- How does increasing resistance impact current when voltage is constant?
- Use Ohm’s Law to calculate the missing variable: If V = 12V and R = 4Ω, what is the current?
- Explain a real-life example of Ohm’s Law in action (e.g., why high-resistance components reduce current in a circuit).
Teacher Notes
Integrating with Lessons:
- This lab is ideal for introductory and review lessons on electrical circuits, especially when learning about series and parallel configurations.
- Encourage students to take note of units (volts, ohms, amps) and the direct proportionality between voltage, resistance, and current.
Common Misconceptions:
- Students may confuse the direction of the relationship, thinking that resistance and current are directly proportional; clarify that they are inversely related (as one increases, the other decreases).
- Emphasize that Ohm’s Law applies to components that have a consistent resistance, distinguishing it from non-ohmic behavior.
Extension Activities:
- Challenge students to create complex circuits in another simulation and apply Ohm’s Law to different components.
- Have students investigate real-world devices that follow Ohm’s Law, such as resistors in electronic gadgets, and discuss their practical applications.
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