Current Electricity

This comprehensive tutorial provides an overview of the principles of circuits and electric current, complete with simple demonstrations, labs and extensions for both student and teacher. Topics covered include electric field and potential, resistance and Ohmu's Law, and how series and parallel circuits are built and drawn. Questions at the end of the various sections of the tutorial can be used to check for student understanding. The principles behind this highly useful branch of physics are presented within this tutorial in logical order and in clear language. A model for electric current is presented and discussed at length. The production of current due to differences in electric potential such as that provided by a cell or battery is explained. Resistance and Ohmu's Law are clearly explained. Examples of series and parallel circuits are presented, along with schematic representations of such circuits. Frequent checks for understanding allow the student to identify and correct misconceptions.