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Inside the Wire: How Circuits Really Work
by JoySchooler LearnerWhat is actually moving inside a wire, and why does a bulb light up at all? Through puzzles, predictions and detective work, you'll build a real picture of circuits, from a single battery and bulb to shortcuts, branches and broken circuits you'll learn to diagnose.
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How Circuits Really Work
Lesson 1
The Lamp That Doesn't Wait
You flip a switch and the lamp lights instantly, but what is actually moving inside that wire, and is it really as fast as it seems?
StartLesson 2
One Battery, One Bulb, One Wire
One battery, one bulb, one wire: a challenge that stumps most adults on the first try. Would your design leave the bulb dark?
StartLesson 3
What Is the Battery Pushing?
A battery doesn't contain the stuff that flows through the wire. So what is it actually doing in there?
Locked till you take the prior lessonLesson 4
The Wire That Fights Back
Some wires let current through easily, others resist. What decides which, and what happens to the push and the flow?
Locked till you take the prior lessonLesson 5
The Glowing Thread
A bulb is just a wire inside glass. Why does that one wire glow when the others stay dark?
Locked till you take the prior lessonLesson 6
Two Bulbs in a Row
Add a second bulb right after the first. Before you test it, predict: what happens to the brightness?
Locked till you take the prior lessonLesson 7
Two Paths to Choose From
Now the current meets a fork in the road with a bulb on each branch. Where does it go, and how much?
Locked till you take the prior lessonLesson 8
The Dangerous Shortcut
Connect a battery's two ends with a bare wire and no bulb. Why do engineers treat this as a big danger?
Locked till you take the prior lessonLesson 9
Circuit Detective
A circuit that should work stays dark. Use everything you've learned to track down exactly what went wrong.
Locked till you take the prior lessonReview and assessment
Lesson 10
Test: Inside the Wire: How Circuits Really Work
Review the course ideas by applying them to new situations, with kind feedback after every answer.
Locked till you take the prior lesson