Reading and drawing circuit diagrams

Reading and drawing circuit diagrams

Pencil and paper
Overview
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
In battery operated appliances, cells need to be placed in a set pattern.
 
a) Write down how the bulbs would glow in circuits B, C, and D when compared to circuit A. Use the words; not going, dimmer, same as, or brighter, to describe each circuit.

A   B ___________ C ___________
D ___________
 

b) Using the symbol for cells, draw a circuit diagram for how the cells are arranged in each of the appliances below.
 
Appliance Diagram of cells in appliance Circuit drawing of cells
Torch  
Radio  
Walkman  
Cell phone  
 
c)
 
Which appliance(s) have their cells arranged in series? ______________________________________________________________________
 
d)
Why do some appliances have their cells arranged this way?
 
 
 
 
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Science, Knowledge, Physical World
Keywords: 
physics concepts, energy, electricity, circuits, parallel, series, batteries, circuit diagrams, symbols
Description of task: 
Students indicate how brightly a bulb would glow in three different circuits. Students then use pictures of four appliances, showing the arrangement of their cells, to draw circuit symbol diagrams illustrating this cell arrangement.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Interpret representations
This resource provides opportunities to discuss circuit diagrams use a particular agreed code for the different elements.
 
Science capabilities: 
Interpret representations
Answers/responses: 
 

Y11 (04/01)

a)

Circuit B: Brighter
Circuit C: Not going
Circuit D: Same as

easy
easy
difficult

b)

Torch:   

Transistor radio:   

Walkman:   

Cell phone:   

easy

 

easy

 

 

easy

 

easy

c)

Torch, walkman, (transistor radio optional).

moderate

d)

To give more power/voltage.

difficult
Diagnostic and formative information: 

Common errors

a)

Circuit D: 20% answered dimmer.
                 37% answered brighter.