Know Your Potential - Directions

How it Works:

Using the Know Your Potential Concept Builder is quite simple. When you start up the Concept Builder, you must enter your name tap on the Start button. Your name will be used in all Progress displays; it is never saved in any database. Once you tap on the Start button, you will be taken to the Main Menu. There you willl be presented with the three activities - Color Those Wires!, Which Bulbs Light?, and Volt On It!. Each activity consists of four circuits which you must analyze. You can do these three activities in any order but we recommend that you do them in the order in which they are presented - Color Those Wires! first, followed by Which Bulbs Light?, and finally Volt On It! Once you complete an activity, you will receive a Medal for that activity. The Medal is displayed on the Main Menu screen.

 

Color Those Wires!

In the Color Those Wires! activity, color is used as a representation of the amount of electric potential (or pressure) at various locations within the circuit. Red is used for high potential; blue is used for the lowest potential. To color a wire, tap on one of the colors in the palette; then tap on the wire. Once you've colored all wires as desired, tap on the Check Answer button. Feedback is immediate. Opportunities for correction are boundless. When you have correctly colored the wires of a circuit, a Star will be displayed in Progress Report in the gray column on the right side of the Concept Builder. Once all four circuits are correctly analyzed, you will receive a Medal and be returned to the Main Menu screen. If you would like to exit the activity at any time, tap on the Return to Main Menu button.

 

Which Bulbs Light?

The Which Bulbs Light? activity is very similar to Color Those Wires! with one addition: once all wires are colored, you will have to indicate which bulbs in the circuit will be lit. Tapping on a bulb toggles it ON and OFF. Tap on all the bulbs you believe will light. Then tap on the Check Answer button. Once more, feedback is immediate and opportunities for correction are boundless. Your progress through the activity is reported in the Progress Report area on the right side of the Concept Builder. You will automatically be returned to the Main Menu screen once you successfully complete an activity. Your medal will be displayed on the screen.

 

Volt On It!

The Volt On It! activity is the only activity that is numerical in nature. Values of current at each bulb location and the resistance of the bulbs are listed on the circuit diagram. There are four to six locations on the circuit diagram that are marked with a dot and a letter. You will need to determine the electric potential at these locations. Type the values into the fields below the diagram. The color-coding is an option; it does not have to be completed to get the answer correct. Once all numerical values have been entered, tap on the Check button. You will be given immediate feedback and opportunities to correct your answers. Once correct, the next circuit diagram will be displayed. Once all circuit diagrams have been successfully completed, you will be returned to the Main Menu screen and awarded a Medal.