Indiana Science HS-PSII-5.1

ScienceGrades 9–12Physical Science

The Standard

Relate the idea of electric potential energy to electric potential (i.e., voltage) in the context of electric circuits.

Indiana Academic Standards for Science (2023) · Simple and Complex Circuits

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students explain that voltage tells how much electric potential energy changes for each coulomb of charge moving between two points. They use voltage and charge to calculate energy transferred in a circuit.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can explain that a 6 V battery gives 6 J of energy to each coulomb of charge. They calculate that 2 C receives 12 J and explain how a bulb changes that energy into light and heat.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think voltage is the total energy stored in a battery or that charge gets used up in a bulb. Some read 6 V as 6 J for any amount of charge, rather than 6 J per coulomb.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: A 3 V battery moves 2 C of charge through a bulb. How much energy does the battery give the charge, and where does that energy go?

Lesson moves

Connect one, then two AA cells in series to a 3 V bulb; measure voltage across the bulb and compare its brightness.
Ask students to write why 2 C of charge receives more energy than 1 C from the same battery.
Give pairs charge cards marked 1 C or 2 C and voltage cards marked 3 V or 6 V; have them calculate energy gains.
Compare the voltage labels on an AA cell and a phone battery; calculate how much energy each gives to 1 C of charge.

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