More batteries, brighter bulb

CONCEPTUAL

Science›Energy|Ages 10—11|ID: mt_vFT_GbkP9m

Associate the brightness of a lamp or volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in a series circuit

Mastery Evidence

Describe the pattern: more cells (or higher voltage) = brighter bulb / louder buzzer
Explain that more cells provide more energy to the circuit
Predict the effect of changing the number of cells on a component's behaviour

Assessment Prompt

“Can [child] explain why adding a second battery makes the bulb brighter, and predict what happens with three batteries?”

Curriculum Standards1 alignment

Y6.Sci.E.1The national curriculum in England

Brightness of a lamp or volume of a buzzer

associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit

Science · Key Stage 2

Prerequisites3

How switches work
hardAges 8—9
Circuit vocabulary
hardAges 9—11
How energy travels around
softAges 9—10

Show full prerequisite tree

How switches work hard
Must understand switches and circuits before investigating voltage effects
- Will the bulb light up? hard
  Must understand complete loops before understanding how switches open/close them
  - Building a simple circuit hard
    Must build circuits before predicting whether a lamp will light
    - What uses electricity at home hard
      Must identify electrical appliances before building circuits
Circuit vocabulary hard
Associating brightness with voltage requires 'voltage', 'current', and 'series circuit' vocabulary
How energy travels around soft
Energy transfer concept supports understanding voltage as energy per charge
- Light & Seeing in the Dark soft
  Light knowledge supports understanding energy transfer by light
  - Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
    Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary
- Naming types of energy hard
  Describing energy transfer by sound, light, heat, and electric current requires energy type vocabulary
- Building a simple circuit hard
  Must know circuits before understanding energy transfer by electric current
  - What uses electricity at home hard
    Must identify electrical appliances before building circuits
- Vibrations & Sound soft
  Sound knowledge supports understanding energy transfer by sound
  - Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
    Understanding vibrating materials and sound requires 'vibration' vocabulary
  - Communication with Light & Sound hard
    Must understand how sound works before designing a communication device using it
    - Light & Seeing in the Dark hard
      Must understand how light works before designing a communication device using it
      - Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
        Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary

Unlocks3

Current, voltage, and what they measure
hardAges 11—12
Drawing circuits with proper symbols
hardAges 10—11
Why circuit components behave differently
hardAges 10—11