National 5 Physics Energy and Electricity unit (from SWG June 2011) Suggested amendments D Noble 17 June 2011

content / Outcomes / Suggested Experiences or Contexts
Conservation of energy. / Learners have investigated energy transformations of a variety of types including electrical into heat energy. / Investigate the transformation of energy.
Use joulemeters to measure the output of electric heaters to investigatInvestigatee the temperature rise of different materials when supplied with identical amounts of heat energy.
Specific heat capacity / Learners have carried out practical investigations into the heat energy stored in different materials of the same mass when heated to the same temperature. / Storage radiator
Ceramic/metal plate hair straighteners
Ice on ceramic/metal tiles
Slate/laminate flooring
Thermochromic materials
Learners can distinguish between heat as a form of energy and temperature as the "hotness" of a body.
Learners can carry out calculations involving the appropriate relationships between the heat energy, specific heat capacity, mass and the temperature rise of materials. / Apply the relationship E = CmT
Heat loss / Learners have carried out an investigation which measures heat loss. / Joule’s experiment
Low voltage filament lamp in water
Smart meters for domestic appliances
Learners can use the principle of conservation of energy to carry out calculations on energy transformations which involve temperature change.
Content / Outcomes / Suggested Experiences or Contexts
Latent heat / Learners have carried out practical investigations to show that a change of state does not involve a temperature change and that energy is gained or lost. / Do experiments to investigate the melting point of a solid e.g. stearic acid. Draw cooling curves to compare with water.
Learners have researched common applications of latent heat with reference to
  • The change of state
  • The material which changes state
  • Whether heat is gained or lost
/ Refrigerators,
Sweating
Heat packs & cool packs
Wind chill
Ground source heat pumps
Learners can carry out calculations using appropriate relationships involving energy, specific latent heat and mass. / Apply the relationship E=mL
Kinetic Model / Learners have researched the kinetic model to explain how gas pressure is produced. / Computer simulations to illustrate how particles produce gas pressure.
Mechanical models.
Gas Laws / Learners have carried out practical investigations into the relationships between the pressure, temperature and volume of a fixed mass of gas at constant temperature. / Boyle’ Law
Pressure Law
Charles law
Absolute temperature / Learners have used graphical methods to determine absolute zero of temperature
Learners can describe the relationship between Celsius and Kelvin temperature. / Superconductors
Deep space temperatures
Learners can calculate pressure, volume and temperature for a fixed mass of gas using appropriate relationships. / Weather balloons
Tyre pressures
Scuba diving
Apply the relationships PV= const, V/T = const, P/T = const
Content / Outcomes / Suggested experiences or contexts
Charge / Learners have carried out practical investigation to demonstrate that there are two types of charge.
Learners can:
  • describe the attraction or repulsion of charged objects.
  • describe current as a movement of charge around a circuit
  • carry out calculations involving appropriate relationships between charge, current and time
/ Experiments with rods/spheres
Van de Graff generator
Applications of static: paint, anti static wipes, aircraft fuelling, lightning.
Apply the relationship Q=It
Potential difference / Learners have researched the work an influential scientist and the development of our understanding of electricity.
Learners have researched the relationship between potential difference and energy.
Learners can:
  • give state the definition for potential difference related to both supply and energy conversion in a circuit.
  • state that the voltage of the supply is a measure of the energy given to the charges in a circuit
  • carry out calculations involving appropriate relationships between energy charge and voltage
/ Franklin, Faraday, Volta, Ohm, Ampere
Galvani, Van der Graaf, Tesla, Millikan
Teltron tubes
Internet/computer
Particle accelerators : CERN
Spark plugs
Apply the relationship V =E/Q
Content / Outcomes / Suggested experiences or contexts
Circuits / Learners have researched standard electrical symbols.
Learners have set a variety of series circuits with up to 5 components and a voltmeter to measure the potential difference of any one component.
Learners can draw and identify symbols for the following components:
  • Cell
  • Battery
  • Bulb
  • Switch resistor
  • Variable resistor
  • Ammeter
  • Voltmeter
  • LED
  • Ohmmeter
  • Motor
Learners can correctly position ammeters and voltmeters in a circuit
Learners have carried out practical investigations measuring current through components in series circuits to verify conservation of charge.
Learners have carried out practical investigations to measure potential differences across components in series circuits to verify conservation of energy.
Learners can:
  • describe the relationship of the current at all points in a series circuit.
  • describe the relationship between potential differences across components in series compared to the potential difference of the supply .
/ IET data sheets
Internet/computer
Content / Outcomes / Suggested experiences or contexts
Ohm’s Law / Learners have carried out practical investigations to determine the relationship between potential difference, current and resistance in a simple circuit.
Learners can:
  • conclude that V/I for a resistor remains constant for different currents and is the resistance of the resistor.
  • carry out calculations involving the appropriate relationships between potential difference, current and resistance
/ Apply the relationship V=IR
Learners have carried out practical investigations with non-ohmic conductors. / V/I in a car lamp
Learners have carried out research into the uses of variable resistors. / Game controllers
Remote controls for toy cars, train sets…..…etc
Content / Outcomes / Suggested experiences or contexts
Parallel Circuits / Learners have set up parallel circuits with up to three branches.
Learners have carried out practical investigations to measure currents through components in parallel circuits to verify conservation of charge.
Learners can:
  • describe the relationship of currents in parallel branches compared to the current drawn from the supply.
  • describe the relationship of the potential difference across components in parallel and the supply.
/ Car wiring
Domestic wiring
Is= const
Ip= I1 + I2
Learners have carried out practical investigations into the total resistance of resistors in series and parallel.
Learners have carried out investigations into voltage dividers
Learners cancarry out calculations to find the total resistance of combinations of resistors in series and parallel. / Voltage divider circuits
Apply the relationships Vs =R1 + R2 + ..,
Vp = 1/R1 +1/R2 + ...
Power / Learner have carried out practical investigations to measure the power ratings of lamps or heaters
Learners can calculate electrical power using appropriate relationships / Low power appliances
Loudspeaker ratings
Light bulbs
Heaters and kettles
Hybrid cars
Apply the relationships P=VI, P=V2/R, P=I2R
Content / Outcomes / Suggested experiences or contexts
Magnets
(possibly move to nat 4?) / Learners have carried out an investigation into the properties of magnets.
Learners can:
  • describe the behaviour of magnets in terms of poles
  • draw magnetic field patterns.
Learners should have carried out research into the practical uses of electromagnets.
Learners should have carried out an investigation into the strength of electromagnets. / Experiments with magnets and iron filings.
Generation of electricity / Learners have researched the generation of potential difference.
Learners can:
  • describe the following factors on the magnitude of an induced potential difference.
  • effect of the relative speed of the magnet and the coil,
  • the number of turns in the coil
  • the strength of the magnet
Learners should have carried out a practical investigation into the difference between alternating and direct current.
Learners can distinguish between sources of AC and DC / Simple experiments on the generation of potential difference.
Research into commercial power stations.
Simple experiments with components and the difference in their characteristics with AC and DC, oscilloscope patterns.
Research into mains values in different countries.
Content / Outcomes / Suggested experiences or contexts
Transformers / Learners should have carried out a practical investigation with transformers to measure potential difference in the primary and secondary coils.
Learners can:
  • explain why transformers only work in a.c.
  • Use the relationship between turns ratio and voltage ratio for an ideal transformer
Learners have conducted experiments to measure the power loss in a transformer.
Learners have researched the use of transformers in the transmission of electricity.
Learners can:
  • explain why transformers are used to transmit electricity at high potential differences.
  • use appropriate relationships to calculate power loss in transmission lines.
/ Difference between ideal and real transformers.
Apply the relationship np/ns = Vp/Vs
Model power lines.
Mechanical Energy / Learners have measured the potential and kinetic energy of objects and compared the energy during vertical movement
Learners can carry our calculations with potential and kinetic energy in situations involving conservation of energy. / Theme park rides
Skateboarders
Free fall objects
Apply the relationships E =mgh, E=1/2 mv2

Energy and Electricity N5 SWG Page 1 of 118/10/18