PhET Simulation: Ohm's Law

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This popular simulation, now updated to HTML5, lets students explore how the equation form of Ohm's law relates to a simple circuit. Use the sliders to adjust voltage and resistance, then watch the current change according to Ohm's law. The sizes of the symbols in the equation change to match the circuit diagram. Also accessible to registered PhET users are a "Video Primer" with directions for use and teacher-submitted ideas for instructional use in middle school, high school, and introductory college physics. The resource was designed using principles from physics education research and refined based on student interviews.

This simulation is part of a larger collection of free interactive models developed by the Physics Education Technology Project (PhET) to support the teaching of physics, chemistry, life sciences, and mathematics.

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/ohms-law

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Electricity & Magnetism - DC Circuits = Ohm's Law	- High School - Lower Undergraduate - Middle School - Informal Education	- Instructional Material = Activity = Interactive Simulation

Intended Users	Formats	Ratings
- Learners - Educators	- application/java - text/html	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Mirror:: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/oh…
Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2016 University of Colorado, Physics Education Technology
Additional information is available.
Keywords:: Ohm's law, circuits , current, electricity , resistance, voltage
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created November 16, 2007 by Alea Smith
Record Updated:: December 29, 2018 by Caroline Hall
Last Update when Cataloged:: November 16, 2016
Other Collections:: The Physics Front

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Next Generation Science Standards

Energy (HS-PS3)

Students who demonstrate understanding can: (9-12)

Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as either motions of particles or energy stored in fields. (HS-PS3-2)

Disciplinary Core Ideas (K-12)

Types of Interactions (PS2.B)

Electric and magnetic (electromagnetic) forces can be attractive or repulsive, and their sizes depend on the magnitudes of the charges, currents, or magnetic strengths involved and on the distances between the interacting objects. (6-8)

Definitions of Energy (PS3.A)

…and "electrical energy" may mean energy stored in a battery or energy transmitted by electric currents. (9-12)
At the macroscopic scale, energy manifests itself in multiple ways, such as in motion, sound, light, and thermal energy. (9-12)
These relationships are better understood at the microscopic scale, at which all of the different manifestations of energy can be modeled as a combination of energy associated with the motion of particles and energy associated with the configuration (relative position of the particles). In some cases the relative position energy can be thought of as stored in fields (which mediate interactions between particles). This last concept includes radiation, a phenomenon in which energy stored in fields moves across space. (9-12)

Crosscutting Concepts (K-12)

Systems and System Models (K-12)

Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions. (6-8)
Models (e.g., physical, mathematical, computer models) can be used to simulate systems and interactions—including energy, matter, and information flows—within and between systems at different scales. (9-12)

Structure and Function (K-12)

Complex and microscopic structures and systems can be visualized, modeled, and used to describe how their function depends on the relationships among its parts, therefore complex natural structures/systems can be analyzed to determine how they function. (6-8)
The functions and properties of natural and designed objects and systems can be inferred from their overall structure, the way their components are shaped and used, and the molecular substructures of its various materials. (9-12)

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices (K-12)

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking (5-12)

Mathematical and computational thinking at the 6–8 level builds on K–5 and progresses to identifying patterns in large data sets and using mathematical concepts to support explanations and arguments. (6-8)
- Use mathematical representations to describe and/or support scientific conclusions and design solutions. (6-8)
Mathematical and computational thinking at the 9–12 level builds on K–8 and progresses to using algebraic thinking and analysis, a range of linear and nonlinear functions including trigonometric functions, exponentials and logarithms, and computational tools for statistical analysis to analyze, represent, and model data. Simple computational simulations are created and used based on mathematical models of basic assumptions. (9-12)
- Use mathematical or computational representations of phenomena to describe explanations. (9-12)

NGSS Nature of Science Standards (K-12)

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking (5-12)

Mathematical and computational thinking at the 6–8 level builds on K–5 and progresses to identifying patterns in large data sets and using mathematical concepts to support explanations and arguments. (6-8)
Mathematical and computational thinking at the 9–12 level builds on K–8 and progresses to using algebraic thinking and analysis, a range of linear and nonlinear functions including trigonometric functions, exponentials and logarithms, and computational tools for statistical analysis to analyze, represent, and model data. Simple computational simulations are created and used based on mathematical models of basic assumptions. (9-12)

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=6105">PhET. PhET Simulation: Ohm's Law. Boulder: PhET, November 16, 2016.</a>

AIP Format

(PhET, Boulder, 2016), WWW Document, (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/ohms-law).

AJP/PRST-PER

PhET Simulation: Ohm's Law (PhET, Boulder, 2016), <https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/ohms-law>.

APA Format

PhET Simulation: Ohm's Law. (2016, November 16). Retrieved April 19, 2024, from PhET: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/ohms-law

Chicago Format

PhET. PhET Simulation: Ohm's Law. Boulder: PhET, November 16, 2016. https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/ohms-law (accessed 19 April 2024).

MLA Format

PhET Simulation: Ohm's Law. Boulder: PhET, 2016. 16 Nov. 2016. 19 Apr. 2024 <https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/ohms-law>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Title = {PhET Simulation: Ohm's Law}, Publisher = {PhET}, Volume = {2024}, Number = {19 April 2024}, Month = {November 16, 2016}, Year = {2016} }

Refer Export Format

%T PhET Simulation: Ohm's Law %D November 16, 2016 %I PhET %C Boulder %U https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/ohms-law %O application/java

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %D November 16, 2016 %T PhET Simulation: Ohm's Law %I PhET %V 2024 %N 19 April 2024 %8 November 16, 2016 %9 application/java %U https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/ohms-law

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The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

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