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In this unit pupils:
- consolidate and extend their ideas about circuits
- use concepts of electric current and energy transfer to explain the working of circuits
- explain patterns in the measurements of current and voltage
- use the concept of resistance qualitatively
- build circuits in which current flow is usefully controlled
- consider the hazards of electricity for humans
In scientific enquiry pupils:
- explore early ideas about electric current
- model current in a variety of ways
- plan safe procedures and recognise hazards
- use ammeters to measure current
Note on the teaching of energy
This unit applies the concept of energy to electrical circuits. In particular, pupils learn that while current is not used up in the circuit, energy is. This work focuses on distinguishing between two abstract concepts: electricity as 'flowing stuff' and electrical energy as something that is identified by input and output effects. Its effects are associated with the brightness of bulbs and its origins in the voltage rating of batteries. There are necessary simplifications in the treatment, as appropriate to this early unit.
This unit is expected to take approximately 8 hours.
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