Principal Sponsors
Makes grants to address the most serious social and environmental problems facing society, where risk capital, responsibly invested, may make a difference over time.
National Science Foundation
An independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science.
King Saud University seeks to become a leader in educational and technological innovation, scientific discovery and creativity through fostering an atmosphere of intellectual inspiration and partnership for the prosperity of society.
The O'Donnell Foundation is devoted to building model programs to enhance the quality of education.
Conductivity
Experiment with conductivity in metals, plastics and photoconductors. See why metals conduct and plastics don't, and why some materials conduct only when you shine a flashlight on them.
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Teaching Resources
Main Topics
- Conductivity
- Energy Levels
- Photoconductors
Sample Learning Goals
- Identify the driving force in a circuit.
- Explain the difference in conducting behavior between metals, plastics, and photoconductors in terms of the difference in the structure of energy levels.
- Explain why shining light on a photoconductor causes it to conduct.
Tips for Teachers
The teacher's guide (pdf) contains tips created by the PhET team.
Teaching Ideas
| Title | Authors | Level | Type | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Conductivity: an inquiry activity (also uses other sims)
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Trish Loeblein | HS UG-Intro |
HW Lab CQs |
7/28/12 |
| Conductivity | Carl Bayer | MS | Lab | 2/5/09 |
| Intro to Circuits | Katherine Frett | HS | Lab | 2/27/07 |
You can submit your own ideas and activities.
Translated Versions:
Software Requirements
| Windows | Macintosh | Linux |
|---|---|---|
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Microsoft Windows
XP/Vista/7 Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later |
OS 10.5 or later
Sun Java 1.5.0_19 or later |
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later |
Credits
| Design Team | Third-party Libraries | Thanks To |
|---|---|---|
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