1. UNIT PRESENTATION
Title
Electricity
Unit description
The word
electricity comes from the Greek word elektron,
which means amber. In the year 600AC the Greek philosopher and scientist Tales
de Mileto discovered that when amber is rubbed it acquires a power of
attraction over other objects. This led
him to make a few observations about static electricity, which confirm that amber
can hold magnetic properties and that the attraction is produced by a magnetic
field.
Although
these conclusions were incorrect, his reflections generated a lot of research
about, what we now know as, electricity.
His study was not systematised until the 17th and 18th century
and was only taken advantage of for domestic and industrial use towards the end
of the 19th century.
Since then,
the growth of electronic technology has been immense and important for the
development and progress of society. Electricity is now found in factories,
offices, homes, activities and sports, lighting, security, etc., which is why
it seems impossible to imagine life without it.
In this
unit, we will learn what electricity is and what it is made up of, by analysing
the parts that make up an electric circuit.
Also, we will study Ohm’s law and how electrical variables are
measured. Then, we will go into more
depth about electrical resistance (developing circuits in series, parallel and
mixed) and calculating energy and power.
Finally, we will talk about the different types of electric machines and
the effects that an electric current can produce.
Theory:
- Definition of electricity
- Ohm’s law
- Electric currents: direct and alternating
- Effects of the electric current
- Measuring electrical variables
- Electrical resistance
- The parts that make up an electric circuit
- Types of circuits: series, parallel and mixed
- Energy and power
- Electric machines
Practical application:
- Analysis of resolved problems
- Resolving problems and questions about
electricity.
- Designing a circuit
- Using formulas
- Creating comparative tables
- Practical verification of the relation between
electricity and electromagnetism.
2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
-
Knowing what electricity is.
-
Understanding Ohm’s law.
-
Differentiating between a direct and alternating current.
- Indicating some of the effects that an electric
current produces.
- Recognising different ways of measuring
electrical variables.
- Knowing the parts that make up an electric
current.
- Understanding what series circuits, parallel
circuits and mixed circuits are.
- Knowing how to calculate energy and power.
-
Knowing different machines that produce electric energy.
- Learning what electrical resistance is and
identifying its value for the electronic colour code
- Understanding the relationship between electricity
and electromagnetism.
- Solving problems using the studied formulas and
analysing completed exercises.
- Observing images and circuits to solve
problems.
3. UNIT OUTLINE
