Week 2 Post 2-3

Post 2 and 3

a.     Which labs, activities and/or videos have you completed? 

      I have completed the first PHET simulation on constructing parallel circuits.

b.     What did you learn and what questions do you still need to ask?

      While constructing the parallel and series circuits, I was able to learn a number of things, as well as solidify knowledge attained from the videos.

     

The first piece of information, which I learned, was the importance of resistors. Prior to completing the simulation, I understood what a resistor was, what it was used for, and how it worked. However, I did not know why it was important. I did not know why the electrons passing through the wire needed to be slowed down and what effect not having resistors would have on the overall circuit. I learned that slowing down the electrons passing through the wire is essential because it controls the flow of electrons. If too many electrons are travelling, too fast, then that can have serious negative effects on the battery. For example this overload in electrons can cause for instability and ultimately cause for the battery to explode or catch fire.

     

      Another piece of information that I learned from this simulation was that the electrical flow in parallel and series circuits is a bit different. The current seemed to be flowing a lot faster in the parallel circuit. Also, the voltage was the same on each tier. In addition, the voltage was higher in the parallel circuits and the bulbs were brighter than in the series circuit. This happened despite the fact that both circuits used two batteries with the same 18V combined output.

      I think that this can be explained by the fact that there is more resistance in the series circuit, but I am unsure? 

     

c.     How will what you learn help you to complete the projects for this unit?

This will be very useful further along because it helps us understand relationships between the two types of circuits, as well as their similarities and differences. I think simulations such as this one will lay down a solid foundation for much more complicated and advanced work that we will complete in the following weeks. We are still focusing on basic concepts and relationships. These concepts will help our understanding of the more complicated ones since you need to understand these to move on and have any sense of the more complicated aspects of electrical engineering.

d.     What do you plan to do next and when do you think you will complete your next step? 

     

      I plan to finish the lab report for this and have it done by the end of the week. I also plan to begin work on the next simulation and watch some more videos (if I have the time to do so).

QUETIONS: 
Would a post such as this one be sufficient if I am to do 2 posts a week?

Week 2 post 1

Post 1
a.     Which labs, activities and/or videos have you completed? 

     I have watched the bozeman science video. 

b.     What did you learn and what questions do you still need to ask?

      This video has taught me, more in-depth about circuits. I have learned about what the various components of circuits are, such as batteries, wires, resistors, switches, etc. I learned what their abbreviations and symbols are. For example the symbol for a battery is composed of two t's, one upside down, on top of each other with + and - signs next to each t. I also learned a little bit about bread boards and how then can use potentiometers to control the flow of electricity. Once you can control the flow, you can control the brightness of the bulb.
      The demonstrations and diagrams from the video helped me understand more of where the guy from the khan academy videos was coming from. I thought that this teacher's explanations and diagrams were clearer and easier to understand. For example, the definitions and explanations of how the various components relate to each other made my understanding much more clear after watching this video. I was able to better understand how batteries, wires, and switches work together to create a circuit. I was able to better understand how switches use air to disrupt the flow of electricity.  

c.     How will what you learn help you to complete the projects for this unit?

      I believe that this video has answered most of the questions that I had. My understanding of how circuits work and what they are made up of is much clearer. I now know how all the parts of a circuit work, and more importantly how they work together. I think this knowledge will be crucial for the lab that I am currently working on, which involves creating a simulated circuit. It will also help me in future labs and activities where I will be expected to already have a solid understanding of circuits and their components. 

d.     What do you plan to do next and when do you think you will complete your next step? 
      I plan to have the first lab completed. I also plan to watch the next few videos and complete the second lab, by early next week.

e. Questions

      I still do not fully understand why having resistors to slow down the electrons is important. I understand it controls their flow, to some extent, but why are they so important?

Week 1 Post 3

Post 3

a.     Which labs, activities and/or videos have you completed? 

      I have finished watching all of the khan academy videos on circuits. I am working on the first lab. 

b.     What did you learn and what questions do you still need to ask?

      I learned how calculate the voltage of a circuit which has multiple parallel and series resistors by putting together the formulas and my knowledge of circuits and resistors.
      I was also able to polish my skills on a how to calculate the voltage of circuits with parallel resistors as well as series resistors. The videos reinforced and refreshed all of what I learned in the previous videos on circuits. Can you also please post the khan academy video on resistivity that he was talking about in the fourth video on circuits. 

c.     How will what you learn help you to complete the projects for this unit?

      This material will has given me a pretty good understanding of what circuits are, what they are made up of, and how to calculate their voltage. Now, I will be able to apply those skills to upcoming work, especially to the circuit projects. Also I will understand what is going on in the simulations, something I would not have if I had not watched the videos. I knew close to nothing about circuits prior to watching the videos. 

d.     What do you plan to do next and when do you think you will complete your next step? 

      I plan to finish watching the videos on Bozeman science and finish the first simulation. I feel that I have been getting work done on that, but not as much as I would have liked. I will have it done before the next lesson. I will have also watched the bozeman science videos before the next lesson. 

Need to Know Board (Experiment 1)

What I Know: 

I do not know very much about circuits and electrical engineering, however, I think I might know a few things about electricity. I think that electricity is a form of energy where charged particles are emitted or present. I think that conductors allow for electrical current to travel and that insulators do not. I think I know that many metals, such as pure copper are really good conductors. I also know that rubber is a good insulator.

Questions:

I will need to answer several questions and solve a number of problems such as:

• What is a circuit? 
• How do circuits work?
• What are the different types of circuits, and how does one build them?
• What are the parts of a circuit? 
• What is ohm's law?
• What is total electrical power and how may it be reduced? 

Explore: 

I think that I will need to explore how electricity works and what exactly electricity is. I will also need to explore the basics of electrical engineering (ie: circuits and wiring) as well as search for the answers of the above questions.

Post 1- Week 1

Post 1

a.     Which labs, activities and/or videos have you completed? 

      I have finished watching the first three khan academy videos on circuits and have begun to work on the first lab. 

b.     What did you learn and what questions do you still need to ask?

      I learned about circuits, conductors, and resistors, and how they function. I also learned about how to calculate voltage and the strength of the resistors. I do not have any questions at the moment.

c.     How will what you learn help you to complete the projects for this unit?

      The material that I learned has given me a better understanding of how circuits, switches, and resistors work. I will need this information in the next lab, for it involves creating a circuit. 

d.     What do you plan to do next and when do you think you will complete your next step? 

      I plan to continue to work on the lab and to finish watching the remaining videos on circuits. I plan to have the first lab completed by the end of next week.