Mississippi Science PHY.5.9
The Standard
- PHY.5
- Students will investigate the key components of electricity and magnetism.
Enrichment: Design and draw a schematic of a circuit that will turn on/off a light from two locations in a room like those found in most homes.
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Electricity and Magnetism
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students draw a circuit where either of two switches can change a light from on to off or off to on. They trace the current path through the switches, lamp, and power source.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students connect the battery to the first switch’s common terminal, join the switches with two traveler wires, and connect the second common through the lamp back to the battery. They can trace the path when the lamp is on and explain why flipping either switch changes its state.
Common Misconceptions
- Two ordinary switches in series cannot let either switch turn a dark lamp on. Two in parallel cannot let either switch turn a lit lamp off.
How to Assess It
- Draw a circuit with a 3 V battery, two SPDT switches, and a 3 V bulb. Label the common terminals and traveler wires, then mark the current path when the bulb is on.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Wire two SPDT slide switches, a 3 V bulb, and two AA batteries with clip leads; test all four switch positions.
Ask: Why does flipping either switch change the bulb’s state? Have students mark the current path on their sketches.
Give pairs four switch-position cards; have them predict on or off, then check each against their circuit sketch.
Sketch a stairwell with a switch at each end; label the traveler wires and show where the lamp connects.
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Printable PHY.5.9 Worksheet
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