Unit Lesson Plan –Current and Circuits

Teacher: Subject: AP Physics C EM

AP Physics C Standards:  1. Current, resistance, power
a) Students should understand the definition of electric current, so
they can relate the magnitude and direction of the current to the rate
of flow of positive and negative charge.
b) Students should understand conductivity, resistivity and resistance,
so they can:
1) Relate current and voltage for a resistor.
2) Write the relationship between electric field strength and current
density in a conductor, and describe, in terms of the drift velocity of
electrons, why such a relationship is plausible.
3) Describe how the resistance of a resistor depends upon its length
and cross-sectional area, and apply this result in comparing current
flow in resistors of different material or different geometry.
4) Derive an expression for the resistance of a resistor of uniform
cross section in terms of its dimensions and the resistivity of the
material from which it is constructed.
5) Derive expressions that relate the current, voltage and resistance
to the rate at which heat is produced when current passes through a
resistor.
6) Apply the relationships for the rate of heat production in a resistor.
 2. Steady-state direct current circuits with batteries and resistors only
a) Students should understand the behavior of series and parallel
combinations of resistors, so they can:
1) Identify on a circuit diagram whether resistors are in series or in
parallel.
2) Determine the ratio of the voltages across resistors connected in
series or the ratio of the currents through resistors connected in
parallel.
3) Calculate the equivalent resistance of a network of resistors that
can be broken down into series and parallel combinations.
4) Calculate the voltage, current and power dissipation for any
resistor in such a network of resistors connected to a single power
supply.
5) Design a simple series-parallel circuit that produces a given
 current through and potential difference across one specified
component, and draw a diagram for the circuit using conventional
symbols.
b) Students should understand the properties of ideal and real
batteries, so they can:
1) Calculate the terminal voltage of a battery of specified emf and
internal resistance from which a known current is flowing.
2) Calculate the rate at which a battery is supplying energy to a circuit
or is being charged up by a circuit.
c) Students should be able to apply Ohm’s law and Kirchhoff’s rules
to directcurrent circuits, in order to:
1) Determine a single unknown current, voltage or resistance.
2) Set up and solve simultaneous equations to determine two
unknown currents.
d) Students should understand the properties of voltmeters and
ammeters, so they can:
1) State whether the resistance of each is high or low.
2) Identify or show correct methods of connecting meters into circuits
in order to measure voltage or current.
3) Assess qualitatively the effect of finite meter resistance on a circuit
into which these meters are connected.
 3. Capacitors in circuits
a) Students should understand the t = 0 and steady-state behavior of
capacitors connected in series or in parallel, so they can:
1) Calculate the equivalent capacitance of a series or parallel
combination.
2) Describe how stored charge is divided between capacitors
connected in parallel.
3) Determine the ratio of voltages for capacitors connected in series.
4) Calculate the voltage or stored charge, under steady-state
conditions, for a capacitor connected to a circuit consisting of a
battery and resistors.
b) Students should understand the discharging or charging of a
capacitor through a resistor, so they can:
1) Calculate and interpret the time constant of the circuit.
2) Sketch or identify graphs of stored charge or voltage for the
capacitor, or of current or voltage for the resistor, and indicate on the
 graph the significance of the time constant.
3) Write expressions to describe the time dependence of the stored
charge or voltage for the capacitor, or of the current or voltage for the
resistor.
4) Analyze the behavior of circuits containing several capacitors and
resistors, including analyzing or sketching graphs that correctly
indicate how voltages and currents vary with time.

Essential Questions

1. What are voltage, current, and resistance?

2. How are voltage, current, and resistance related?
3. What factors affect resistivity?
4. What are Kirchoff’s Rules
5. How do capacitors charge and discharge.

Knowledge & Skills

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

By the end of this unit, students will know:
 That current is defined as charge over time
2
 The relationship between voltage, current, and Q ρL V V
I= R= I= P=IV =
2
=I R
resistance t A R R
 Ohm’s Law
 Kirchoff’s Rules (the rules will not be named but Req ∈ series=R 1+ R 2+ R 3+ …
they will be applied)
 The relationship between
1 1 1 1
voltage/current/resistance and power in circuits = + + +…
R eq ∈¿ R1 R2 R3
 The relationship between emf and terminal
voltage
 How to find a time constant
V T =ε −Ir
Class Topic Classwork Homework**

Electric Current, Resistivity,

1
EMF

Energy and Power &

2
Resistors

Kirchoff’s Rules &

3
Measuring

4 RC Circuits

5 Review FR Review Study for test

6 Review FR Review Study for test

7 Review MC Review Study for test

8 Current and Circuits Test Test Review next unit