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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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Version 1.03
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Topics Teaching Ideas Software Requirements Translated Versions Credits

Topics

Main Topics

  • Conductivity

Related Topics

Sample Learning Goals

  • Recognize that the battery is 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.

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Teaching Ideas

Tips for Teachers

The teacher's guide contains tips for teachers created by the PhET team (PDF).

Ideas and Activities for this Sim

There are 3 contributions listed.

Ascending Sort (Z-A)Title Author Level Type Updated
Conductivity C. BayerMSLab2/09
Intro to Circuits K. FrettHSLab2/07
presedent G. MamdouHSDemo9/09

Submit Your Ideas & Activities

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Software Requirements

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Windows Systems Macintosh Systems Linux Systems
Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later
 OS 10.4.11 or later
Apple Java 1.5.0_19 or later
 Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later

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Translated Versions

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Credits

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Sam McKagan
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Sam Reid (developer)
  • Carl Wieman
  • Interviewer: Wendy Adams
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