Name_________________________________

Circuits Activity

Go to the class website (http://www.wdwaldrop.com)

Click on enter
Click on 1
Type in your first and last name and hit ok.
Click on the light bulb picture on the bottom

Section 1: What makes circuits work?

Read through the information and answer the following:
In order for them to work properly, circuits need to be _____________________.
That means that the wires need to go in a __________________ around the
power
source.
If a circuit is not complete it will _______________!
Observe for a few seconds how the electricity is moving around the circuit in the
animation. Now click the next button and observe the incomplete circuit animation.
Notice how none of them form a continuous loop around the power source?
Click the next button.
What are two types of power sources? ______________________ and __________________
Click next.
How do you have to arrange batteries when you are using more than one in a
circuit?
________________________________________________________
Click on the green arrow button on the bottom to do the activity.
Once you do the activity correctly a text box will come up that says:
Well done! You have placed all the circuits in the correct places. Remember:
____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Got that? Okay now I think you should try the quiz!
Click on the question mark at the bottom right of the screen to take the quiz.
Answers to quiz:
1. ____________
3. ____________
5. _____________
2. ____________
4. ____________
Now click on the Section 2 circle on the bottom

Section 2: Conductors and Insulators

What is a conductor?
________________________________________________________________________________
What is being used as a conductor in the picture? ______________________
Does this material allow the light bulb to light up? __________

Why or why not? ________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________
Click next.
What is an insulator?
________________________________________________________________________________
What materials are listed as insulators in the reading?
________________________________________________________________________________
Does the plastic used in the circuit animation light up the light bulb? _____
Why or why not? ________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Click next.
Wires consist of both conductors and insulators. What is the conductor in a wire?
______________________ What is the insulator? ____________________
Click next.
List the examples of conductors given in the reading.
________________________________________________________________________
Click the green arrow for the activity.
You are testing materials to see whether they are conductors or insulators. Once
you drag an item into the box, you can move the rectangular alligator clips so that
they are both touching the object.
How do you know if the item is conducting electricity?
_________________________________________________________________
Items that were conductors

Items that were insulators

Now click on the question mark at the bottom to take the quiz.
Answers to quiz:
3. ____________
3. ____________
5. _____________
4. ____________
4. ____________
Click on the third circle to begin section 3.

Section 3: All about switches

In a simple circuit what would you have to do to turn a light bulb off?
____________________________________________________
What device gives you control over the circuit? _______________________
Click next.
Switches allow you to ___________________________ a circuit.
When a switch is on the circuit is _______________________.

When a switch is off the circuit is _______________________.

Click next.
What are two types of switches? _____________________________________________
Click next.
What are some things that have switches? _____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Click on the green arrow to do the activity.
List the items from the activity in the proper boxes in the table below.
No switches
One switch
Many switches

Click on the question mark to take the quiz.

Answers to quiz:
By the way: A torch is a flashlight in Europe!
1. ____________
3. ____________
2. ____________
4. ____________

5. _____________

Click on the circle for section 4 at the bottom.

Section 4: Changing Circuits

You can change circuits by adding more __________________ or ___________________
What happens to light bulbs as you add more to a circuit?
______________________________________________________________
Why does this happen? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Click next.
Adding more _____________ to the circuit can help the bulbs glow brighter.
What happens when you add too many? __________________________________________
Click next.
You can change a circuit by changing the ______________ of the connecting wire.
Longer wire = ______________ bulbs.
Shorter wire = _______________bulbs.
Click next.
Click on the green arrow to complete the activity.
First start with dragging more and more cells to the circuit to see what happens
What happens when you add more cells to the circuit?
__________________________________________________
What happened when you added four cells to the circuit? ________________
Why did this happen? __________________________________________________________
Drag two cells over to the circuit.
Now increase the number of light bulbs. As you increase the number of bulbs in the
circuit what happens? __________________________________________________________

Drag 1 bulb over to the circuit.

Now increase the length of the wire and see what happens. As the wire gets longer
what happens to the bulb? ______________________________________________
Click on the question mark to take the quiz.
Answers to quiz:
1. ____________
3. ____________
2. ____________
4. ____________

5. _____________

Click on the section 5 circle at the bottom.

Section 5: Circuit Diagrams.

Read the first page then click next
Read and click next again.
Draw circuit symbols for the following:
Bulb:
Buzzer:
Cell:

Motor:

Switch:
Click the green arrow to complete the activity.
Once you have completed the activity a text box will come up that says:
Well done! You have matched all ______________________________________________
____________________________________________! Now, why not give the quiz a try and
see if you can light up the fifth star?
Click on the question mark to take the quiz.
Answers to quiz:
1. ____________
3. ____________
2. ____________
4. ____________

5. _____________

Now you have lit up all five stars at the top. Click on the trophy at the top.
Click print to print the certificate showing that you successfully completed all five
sections!