Physics
Circuit Construction Kit: DC
The circuit construction kit simulation offers a robust virtual learning environment that can be used on its own or as a supplement to real-life circuit labs. Students can connect batteries, wires, switches, light bulbs and household objects to explore simple circuits or to explore complex electricity concepts. Equipped with voltmeters and ammeters, students can visualize and measure the flow of electrons through the circuit or the brightness of a bulb as they change the resistance of a bulb, increase the voltage of a battery, add another battery in series, or another bulb in parallel.
Whatever circuit you can create with real-life components, you can make it much faster and measure the results more accurately with PhET's circuit construction kit. The simulation even makes it obvious when you have created a short circuit and supports student thinking as to how this happens and why it should be avoided!
This simulation may be used to introduce or review circuit concepts, supplement direct instruction or even support students to teach themselves through guided-inquiry. Here are sample learning goals for this simulation:
The virtual environment is a cost effective (it's free!), engaging, and visual way for your students to learn about voltage, current, resistance, Ohm's Law, conventional current, Kirchhoff's Laws through exploration and guided inquiry. Not sure where to get started or don't have time to create an inquiry-based lab activity? There is a library of teacher-submitted editable activities at your fingertips ready to print!
Whatever circuit you can create with real-life components, you can make it much faster and measure the results more accurately with PhET's circuit construction kit. The simulation even makes it obvious when you have created a short circuit and supports student thinking as to how this happens and why it should be avoided!
This simulation may be used to introduce or review circuit concepts, supplement direct instruction or even support students to teach themselves through guided-inquiry. Here are sample learning goals for this simulation:
- Explore basic electricity relationships.
- Explain basic electricity relationships in series and parallel circuits.
- Use an ammeter and voltmeter to take readings in circuits.
- Provide reasoning to explain the measurements and relationships in circuits.
- Build circuits from schematic drawings.
- Determine if common objects are conductors or insulators. (PhET, 2021a)
The virtual environment is a cost effective (it's free!), engaging, and visual way for your students to learn about voltage, current, resistance, Ohm's Law, conventional current, Kirchhoff's Laws through exploration and guided inquiry. Not sure where to get started or don't have time to create an inquiry-based lab activity? There is a library of teacher-submitted editable activities at your fingertips ready to print!
Here's what the experts are saying about PhET:
- Students who used PhET's circuit construction kit outperformed students who used real lab equipment in terms of conceptual questions about circuits and in constructing real circuits (Finklestein et al., 2005; Finklestein et al., 2006)
- Here's how students are responding to PhET (with 5 being 'a great deal' and 1 being 'not useful'): "62% of the students rated the sims as very useful for their learning (4-5), with an additional 22% finding them somewhat useful (3) ... In contrast, the textbook was rated of little use (1-2) by 52% and very useful by only 27%. " (Perkins et al., 2006, p. 22)
Sounds awesome, right? Try it out below! Or try the direct link to the simulation - Circuit Construction Kit: DC
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Need some tips to get started? YouTube has many great examples of tutorials! (Parry, 2017)
Using Circuit Construction Kit DC from Michelle Parry
Using Circuit Construction Kit DC from Michelle Parry
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Professional Learning Community Extension
As mentioned above, there is a great Teacher Resource Page to learn more about the simulation or to download ready-to-print teacher-submitted activities. Note - to access the content on this page, you will need to sign up for free account.
Below are samples of the information you will find in the teacher tips PDF.
Below are samples of the information you will find in the teacher tips PDF.
Each simulation has a collection of teacher-submitted activities. This list can be sorted by level/grade, type (demo, guided inquiry, lab, discussion, etc.), subject, creator, and also for a gold star rating which indicate high-quality, inquiry-based activities which follow the PhET design guidelines.
Below is an example of a teacher-submitted activity which includes a lesson plan and student hand-outs in PDF and Word formats. Other helpful information on this page to quickly determine if this activity is appropriate for you include a description, grade level, and duration.
Below is an example of a teacher-submitted activity which includes a lesson plan and student hand-outs in PDF and Word formats. Other helpful information on this page to quickly determine if this activity is appropriate for you include a description, grade level, and duration.
These activities have already been tried and tested by teachers prior to submission:
⚡⚡ You'll get a charge out of these activities! ⚡⚡
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Below are sample screenshots of what students might build using the simulations:
Comparing current, voltage, and bulb brightness in series:
Comparing current, voltage, and bulb brightness in parallel:
Get Started Today!
It's free! What are you waiting for? Students can access this simulation on school computers or their own devices as well! If you run into troubles or need some pre-made ideas for labs, remember to check out the Teacher Resource Page.
Go get started making electricity come alive by making it visual. You'll be shocked how quickly your students learn!
Go get started making electricity come alive by making it visual. You'll be shocked how quickly your students learn!
References:
Finkelstein, N. D., Adams, W. K., Keller, C. J., Kohl, P. B., Perkins, K. K., Podolefsky, N. S., LeMaster, R. (2005). When learning about the real world is better done virtually: A study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment. Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research, 1(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.1.010103
Finkelstein, N. D., Adams, W. K., Keller, C. J., Perkins, K. K., & Wieman, C. (2006). High-tech tools for teaching physics: The physics education technology project. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 2(3), 110–121. https://jolt.merlot.org/vol2no3/finkelstein.pdf
Parry, M. [Michelle Parry]. (2017, Dec. 11). Using Circuit Construction Kit DC [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZKfPzawKms
Perkins, K., Adams, W., Dubson, M., Finkelstein, N., Reid, S., Wieman, C., & LeMaster, R. (2006). PhET: Interactive simulations for teaching and learning physics. The Physics Teacher, 44(1), 18-23. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2150754
PhET. (2021a). Circuit Construction Kit: DC. https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/circuit-construction-kit-dc
Finkelstein, N. D., Adams, W. K., Keller, C. J., Kohl, P. B., Perkins, K. K., Podolefsky, N. S., LeMaster, R. (2005). When learning about the real world is better done virtually: A study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment. Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research, 1(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.1.010103
Finkelstein, N. D., Adams, W. K., Keller, C. J., Perkins, K. K., & Wieman, C. (2006). High-tech tools for teaching physics: The physics education technology project. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 2(3), 110–121. https://jolt.merlot.org/vol2no3/finkelstein.pdf
Parry, M. [Michelle Parry]. (2017, Dec. 11). Using Circuit Construction Kit DC [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZKfPzawKms
Perkins, K., Adams, W., Dubson, M., Finkelstein, N., Reid, S., Wieman, C., & LeMaster, R. (2006). PhET: Interactive simulations for teaching and learning physics. The Physics Teacher, 44(1), 18-23. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2150754
PhET. (2021a). Circuit Construction Kit: DC. https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/circuit-construction-kit-dc