OHM'S LAW

Anderson, Herbert D. Hermann Raster Elementary School

Chicago, IL 60636

Objectives

(a) to become aware of Ohm's Law, the relationship between current, voltage,
and
resistance in a series circuit

(b) to solve selected problems using Ohm's Law

Equipment and Materials

Garden hose with nozzle; circuit board or plywood; 3 - 1.5 Volt DC
batteries; 6
battery clips & 3 battery holders (not needed if hobby batteries are used);
2- 4.5 V
bulbs; l variable resistor (the one used was 25 Ohms 2 Watts); bell wire;
screw
driver; 2 lamp sockets; multimeter (optional).


Recommended Strategies

1. Review basic laws of electrostatics and conductivity. Also, review
schematic
diagrams of simple circuits.

2. Use the garden hose to demonstrate the analogy of water pressure with
voltage,
drops of water with electrons, flow of water with electrical current,
resistance
of hose and nozzle with resistance in a circuit etc.. During discussion,
introduce key vocabulary terms: AMPERE; VOLTS; OHMS; RESISTANCE; CURRENT

3. Connect one, then two, and finally three 1.5 volt dry cells in a series
circuit
to a socket with a 4.5 volt bulb. The pupils will observe and explain
the
varying degree of brightness of the bulb with respect to the increased
voltage
and the increased current.

4. Connect 3 - 1.5 volt dry cells in series to both sockets, using 4.5 volt
bulbs.
The pupils will notice the bulbs' brightness as compared to using one or
two dry
cells. The pupils will explain.

5. Insert the variable resistor into the circuit [You will have to connect
the
negative terminal to the center terminal with a clip], using 3 dry cells
to one
socket with a 4.5 volt bulb. The pupils will vary the resistance from
the least
resistance to where the bulb will not light. The pupils will observe and
explain.

6. Through discussion, the class will realize the relationship between
current,
voltage, and resistance (Noting that this is for D.C. current only).

7. Introduce the pupils to OHM'S LAW : CURRENT = VOLTAGE
RESISTANCE

VOLTAGE = CURRENT X RESISTANCE RESISTANCE = VOLTAGE
CURRENT


Current is measured in Amperes; Voltage is measured in Volts; Resistance
is
measured in Ohms.

8. If available, use a multimeter to measure the current and voltage in the
circuit,
then calculate the resistance. Now, measure the resistance and compare
to the
calculated value.

9. Pupils will use math skills to solve selected problems using Ohm's Law