electric car teacher notes 20170225b kfl
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Page|1 TeacherNotes–ElectricCars–DeakinUniversity
T E A C H E R N O T E S
Electriccars
Overview/IntroductionBoxHillSecondaryCollegewantedanactivityinvestigatingelectriccircuitsinparallelandinseries.
Itisintendedthattheactivityherewoldbeembeddedinamoduleonelectriccircuitsandwouldextendoverseverallessons,withanintroductiontoelectriccircuitsinparallelandinseries,studentsworkinginteamstomakeapropellercar,andthentestingvariouscombinationsofbatteries(bothinparallelandinseries,oracombinationofparallelandseries),analysingresultsandcommunicatingtheirresults.
CurriculumOutcomes:AustralianCurriculumF-10Levels8
ScienceUnderstanding:Physicalsciences• Energyappearsindifferentforms,includingmovement(kinetic
energy),heatandpotentialenergy,andenergytransformationsandtransferscausechangewithinsystems(ACSSU155)
ScienceInquirySkills:Processingandanalysingdataandinformation
• Constructandusearangeofrepresentations,includinggraphs,keysandmodelstorepresentandanalysepatternsorrelationshipsindatausingdigitaltechnologiesasappropriate(ACSIS144)
• Summarisedata,fromstudents’owninvestigationsandsecondarysources,andusescientificunderstandingtoidentifyrelationshipsanddrawconclusionsbasedonevidence(ACSIS145)
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ScienceInquirySkills:Evaluating• Reflectonscientificinvestigationsincludingevaluatingthe
qualityofthedatacollected,andidentifyingimprovements(ACSIS146)
• Usescientificknowledgeandfindingsfrominvestigationstoevaluateclaimsbasedonevidence(ACSIS234)
ScienceInquirySkills:Communicating• Communicateideas,findingsandevidencebasedsolutionsto
problemsusingscientificlanguage,andrepresentations,usingdigitaltechnologiesasappropriate(ACSIS148)
CurriculumOutcomes:VictorianCurriculumF-10Levels7and8
ScienceUnderstanding:Physicalsciences• Energyappearsindifferentformsincludingmovement(kinetic
energy),heat,light,chemicalenergyandpotentialenergy;devicescanchangeenergyfromoneformtoanother(VCSSU104)
Levels9and10
ScienceUnderstanding:Physicalsciences• Electriccircuitscanbedesignedfordiversepurposesusing
differentcomponents;theoperationofcircuitscanbeexplainedbytheconceptsofvoltageandcurrent(VCSSU130)
ScienceInquirySkills:Planningandconducting• [Partial]Independentlyplan,selectanduseappropriate
investigationtypes,includingfieldworkandlaboratoryexperimentation,tocollectreliabledata,assessriskandaddressethicalissuesassociatedwiththeseinvestigationtypes(VCSIS135)
• [Partial]Selectanduseappropriateequipmentandtechnologiestosystematicallycollectandrecordaccurateandreliabledata,anduserepeattrialstoimproveaccuracy,precisionandreliability(VCSIS136)
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ScienceInquirySkills:Recordingandprocessing• Constructandusearangeofrepresentations,includinggraphs,
keys,modelsandformulas,torecordandsummarisedatafromstudents’owninvestigationsandsecondarysources,torepresentqualitativeandquantitativepatternsorrelationships,anddistinguishbetweendiscreteandcontinuousdata(VCSIS137)
ScienceInquirySkills:Analysingandevaluating• Analysepatternsandtrendsindata,includingdescribing
relationshipsbetweenvariables,identifyinginconsistenciesindataandsourcesofuncertainty,anddrawingconclusionsthatareconsistentwithevidence(VCSIS138)
• Useknowledgeofscientificconceptstoevaluateinvestigationconclusions,includingassessingtheapproachesusedtosolveproblems,criticallyanalysingthevalidityofinformationobtainedfromprimaryandsecondarysources,suggestingpossiblealternativeexplanationsanddescribingspecificwaystoimprovethequalityofdata(VCSIS139)
ScienceInquirySkills:Communicating• Communicatescientificideasandinformationforaparticular
purpose,includingconstructingevidence-basedargumentsandusingappropriatescientificlanguage,conventionsandrepresentations(VCSIS140)
Teachingandlearningconceptforthelaboratorylearningactivity
Studentsuseahomemadeelectriccar,whichhasbeenassembledinaprevioussession.Theycantesttheeffectofchangingthenumberofbatteriesinthepowersourceandtheeffectofconnectingbatteriesinparallelandseriescircuits.
Thisisdifferentfromthenormalwayoftestingtheeffectofhavingtheload(workingcomponents)inparallelandseriescircuits.
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KeyConceptsElectriccircuit.Thesimplestelectriccircuithasapowersource(likeabattery)andsomeothercomponent(likeanmotororlight).Thepowersource(likeabattery)andothercomponent(s)areconnectedbywiressothewholecircuitformsacontinuousloop.Morecomplicatedelectriccircuitsmighthaveseveralpowersourcesand/orseveralothercomponentsconnectedinmorethanoneinterconnectingloops.
Parallel.Powersourcesorothercomponentsareconnectedinparallel,whentheyareconnectedhead-to-headandtail-to-tailliketwoside-by-sidehorsespullingawagon.
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Series.Powersourcesorothercomponentsareconnectedinseries,whentheyareconnectedhead-to-tailliketraincarriages.
Backgroundinformation
ScienceconceptsMoreformationaboutelectriccircuitscanbefoundat:
ThePhysicsClassroom.<http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circuits/Lesson-2/What-is-an-Electric-Circuit>.Teachersandstudentsmayusethematerialonline,butdownloadingmaterialisnotpermitted.
TheForDummieswebsitebythepublisher,JohnWileyandSons.<http://www.dummies.com/programming/electronics/components/what-is-an-electronic-circuit/>.Downloading/copying/storing/etcmaterialisnotpermitted.
Region10ESC’sYouTubevideoaboutelectriccircuits<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnnpLaKsqGU>.
PaulAndersen’s(BozemanScience)YouTubevideoaboutseriesandparallelcircuits<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2EuYqj_0Uk>.
crazyPT’sYouTubevideoonhowtomakeasimplebattery-poweredpropeller-drivencar<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voT-xADi-RE>.
AschoolsciencecompetitionMelanieKindley(2016),“Formula-APropellerDrivenCarRace”,MissionHeightsJuniorCollege(Auckland,NewZealand)<http://www.mhjc.school.nz/index.php/2016/12/07/formula-a-propeller-driven-car-race/>.Updated7December2016.
Materials¨ Fan-drivenvehicle;¨ Rulers;¨ Stopwatches;¨ Measuringtapes;¨ Ramps–planksofwood;¨ Voltmeters(ormultimeters);¨ Ammeters(ormultimeters);¨ Leadswithalligatorclips;
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¨ Safetyglasses.
RiskmanagementThemainhazardisthespinningpropeller,whichmaybehardtosee.
Studentsmustwearsafetyglasses/goggles.Theyareinstructedtokeepfacesandhandsawayfromthespinningpropeller.
ActivityStudentsusevoltmetersandammeterstomeasurevoltagedropsacrossandcurrentsthroughvariouscomponents.
Studentswillproposeandconductvariousteststomeasuretheperformanceofthecarwhenchangingthepowersourcecircuitry.Possibilitiesare:
¨ Observationsofpropellerspeed(actuallyspinrate)–forexample,soundofengine,visualimpressionofspinningpropeller,tactileimpressionofwindfrompropellerblowingacrossskin.
¨ Measurementsofspeedofcar.¨ Measurementsofabilityofcartoclimbaninclinedramp.
ExpectedresultsAddingbatteriesinastringincreasesthevoltage;thecurrentremainsthesame.
<http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/serial_and_parallel_battery
_configurations>
Addingbatteriesinparallel,currenthandlingandruntimeincreaseswhilethevoltagestaysthesame.
Page|7 TeacherNotes–ElectricCars–DeakinUniversity
<http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/serial_and_parallel_battery
_configurations>
DifficultiesHavinggoodaxlesandwheelsiscrucial.Thebatteriesandmotorarerelativelyheavy,sothepushfromthefanmightbeinsufficienttomovethecarwithonlyoneortwobatteries.
Theconstructionofthepropellercanbetricky.Itisgoodideafortheteacher(orlaboratorytechnician)practicemakingoneortwopropellorsbeforetheclass.
CopyrightandCreativeCommonsThemoralrightsoftheauthors,KieranLim,PetaWhite,JohnLongandIanBentley,havebeenassertedundertheAustralianCopyrightAct1968(Cth).Exceptinglogos,trademarksorotherthird-partycontentasindicated,thisresourceisdistributedunderaCreativeCommons‘Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike’4.0InternationalLicense.