Lesson 3. Light a Lighbulb

Melissa Beemsterboer
Physics
30-45 mintues
High School Honors Physics
v1

Overview

In this inquiry lesson, students will be given 2 wires, a battery, and a light bulb and asked to figure out how to make the light bulb light. Some students will figure this out quickly, others will struggle for 15 - 20 minutes. There will be other challenges for students who figure out how to light the light bulb quickly.

There are two main goals at the heart of this lesson: (1) to give students an authentic inquiry experience and (2) even at the collegiate level, students of physics are often taught theory and mathematics behind the subject matter, but rarely asked to actually figure things out with physical materials. Students think they know how to get the light bulb to light, but after they try sticking one or both wires to the bottom of the light bulb (most common wrong configuration) and find themselves unsuccessful, they realize they do not. This is a powerful motivator to help them thinking about how circuits actually work, which is why this lesson comes so early in the circuitry unit! Once they realize what they thought they knew is wrong, it clears the way for correcting their misconceptions and showing them how things actually work!

A note: students often get the light bulb to light on "accident", thus promoting their misconceptions. If this happens, it's ok. They will quickly figure out in challenge 2 that this same method won't work.

 

For this lesson, you need 2 wires, a battery, a light bulb (regular) (small), and an LED bulb.

Standards

Next Generation Science Standards
  • Engineering, Technology, Applications of Science
  • Physical Science
  • NGSS Crosscutting Concept
    • Systems
    • Energy
  • NGSS Practice
    • Analyzing Data
    • Constructing Explanations, Designing Solutions
    • Using Models
    • Using Mathematics
    • Conducting Investigations
Computational Thinking in STEM
  • Data Practices
    • Analyzing Data
    • Collecting Data
    • Visualizing Data
  • Modeling and Simulation Practices
    • Assessing Computational Models
    • Constructing Computational Models
  • Computational Problem Solving Practices
    • Computer Programming
    • Troubleshooting and Debugging

Credits

Unit designed by Melissa Beemsterboer a teacher at Lindblom.

Activities

  • 1. CHALLENGE 1
  • 2. CHALLENGE 2
  • 3. CHALLENGE 3
  • 4. CHALLENGE 4
  • 5. CHALLENGE 5
  • 6. Wrap Up

Student Directions and Resources


In this lesson, you will be given 2 wires, a battery, and a light bulb. You need to figure out how to make the light bulb light. When you figure it out, work your way through the challenges that follow.

1. CHALLENGE 1


Make the regular light bulb light with two wires and a battery. (You may need extra hands. It is difficult for one person to do this alone.)


Question 1.1

Draw the setup that made the light bulb light in challenge 1.

Note: Draw your sketch in the sketchpad below


2. CHALLENGE 2


Make the regular light bulb light with one wire and a battery.


Question 2.1

Draw the set up that made your light bulb light in challenge 2.

Note: Draw your sketch in the sketchpad below


3. CHALLENGE 3


Redo challenge #2 with a different orientation. Make the light bulb light (in a different way) with one wire, a bulb, and a battery.


Question 3.1

Draw the orientation that made the light bulb light in challenge 3.

Note: Draw your sketch in the sketchpad below


4. CHALLENGE 4


Make the LED bulb light with two wires and a battery.

NOTE: Do not leave your LED connected to your battery for long. LEDs usually need to be in circuits with resistors to ensure the bulbs don't blow. You will learn about this in more detail in later lessons.


Question 4.1

Draw the orientation that made the light bulb light in challenge 4.

Note: Draw your sketch in the sketchpad below


5. CHALLENGE 5


Make the LED bulb light with one wire and a battery.

NOTE: Do not leave your LED connected to your battery for long. LEDs usually need to be in circuits with resistors to ensure the bulbs don't blow. You will learn about this in more detail in later lessons.


Question 5.1

Draw the orientation that made the light bulb light in challenge 5.

Note: Draw your sketch in the sketchpad below


Question 5.2

What is special about LED bulbs that is different from the regular light bulb? If you did not see this right away, go back and redo challenge 4, but put the opposite wires on the "legs" of the LED bulb.



Question 5.3

Which leg of the LED bulb should connect to the positive side of the battery?

  long
  short


6. Wrap Up


Electrons moving across the filament in the light bulb cause the light bulb to light.

The 3 components of any functioning circuit are:

  • voltage source - provides a reason for electrons to travel in your circuit.
  • current - moving electrons
  • resistor - slows the flow of electrons in the circuit

Note, if the circuit does not provide a closed path, electrons will not flow. There needs to be a connection from the negative side of the battery through the light bulb and out to the positive side of the battery in order for the light bulb to light.


Question 6.1

Which element in your circuits today provided the voltage source?

  battery
  bulb
  wires


Question 6.2

Which element in your circuits today provided a path for current?

  battery
  bulb
  wires


Question 6.3

Which element in your circuits today was the resistor?

  battery
  bulb
  wires


Question 6.4

Will the light bulb light?

 

  Yes
  No


Question 6.5

Will the light bulb light?

  Yes
  No


Question 6.6

Will the light bulb light?

  Yes
  No


Question 6.7

Will the light bulb light?

  Yes
  No