Investigating voltage: plan

I can plan to investigate how voltage affects the brightness of a bulb in a circuit.

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Year 6

Investigating voltage: plan

I can plan to investigate how voltage affects the brightness of a bulb in a circuit.

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Share activities with pupils

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Lesson details

Key learning points

A cell is a single unit that is needed for electricity to flow around a circuit and a battery is a group of cells.
The V on a cell stands for volts, and is a measure of the size of electrical push it provides to a circuit.
Cells or batteries with a higher voltage provide a stronger electrical push to a circuit.
Adding more cells creates a higher voltage and a stronger electrical push to a circuit.
Scientists plan different types of enquiries to find answers to questions.

Keywords

Cell - A cell is a single unit that is needed for electricity to flow around a circuit.
Battery - When there are two or more cells working together, we call it a battery.
Voltage - Voltage is a measure of the size of the push provided by a cell or other source of electricity.
Affect - To affect something or someone is to change it or change how it behaves.
Brightness - The brightness of a bulb is the amount of light it produces.

Common misconception

Voltage of a cell is proportional to the size of the cell. Voltage is a tangible substance rather than a measure of electrical “push”.

Teaching slides and CfUs will clarify that voltage is a measure of the size of the push provided by a cell or other source of electricity and that cell size is not proportional to voltage.

Encourage children to think of the cells and batteries they use in their lives and whether they would expect them to have a high or low voltage.

Teacher tip

Equipment

A range of cells or batteries.

Content guidance

Exploration of objects

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).