Question

energy transfer in wires simulation investigation
go to https://www.openscied.org/general/acdc/ and click “setup” then “go / pause”.
initial observations

1. slide “wire - length - to - source” up and down. what changes do you notice in the sim?
2. repeat for “wire - diameter”, “wire - temperature”, and “wire - material”. what do you notice? which changes in the system are modeled visually, and which changes require you to use your imagination?
3. which particles are atoms and which particles are electrons? how does the motion of atoms change when the wire temperature increases? how do the electrons move?
4. notice the yellow box labeled “% energy loss to surroundings”. click on a light switch to turn on a light, and notice the value of this yellow box. what factors in the sim seem to affect this number?
5. turn on “attach - ammeters” in the green box. this value measures electric current in ma--that is, how much charge flows through the wire each second. what factors seem to change these values? how do the 3 current values near switches a, b, and c compare to the current value near the battery?

Explanation:

Step1: Slide "wire - length - to - source"

Increasing the wire - length - to - source may increase resistance, reducing current and energy transfer rate. Decreasing it may do the opposite.

Step2: Change "wire - diameter", "wire - temperature", "wire - material"

• Wire - diameter: Larger diameter reduces resistance, more current can flow. Visually, thicker wires may seem to conduct better.
• Wire - temperature: Higher temperature usually increases resistance. Atom motion increases with temperature, making it harder for electrons to flow. This motion is not fully visually modeled but can be imagined.
• Wire - material: Different materials have different resistivities. Copper has lower resistivity than iron. Some materials may be visually distinguishable in the sim.

Step3: Identify particles and their motion

Atoms are the fixed lattice structure in the wire. Electrons are the charged particles that move through the wire. When temperature increases, atoms vibrate more vigorously. Electrons move randomly with a net drift velocity due to the electric field.

Step4: Analyze energy loss

Factors like wire - length, wire - material, and temperature may affect the energy loss to surroundings. Longer wires, higher - resistance materials, and higher temperatures may increase energy loss.

Step5: Analyze current values

Factors like voltage of the battery, wire - resistance (affected by length, diameter, material, temperature) change current values. Near switches A, B, C and the battery, if in a series circuit, current is the same everywhere; if in a parallel circuit, current may split and combine, with the sum of currents in branches equal to the current near the battery.

Answer:

1. Changing "wire - length - to - source" affects resistance, current and energy transfer rate.
2. "Wire - diameter" affects resistance visually; "wire - temperature" affects atom motion (imagined) and resistance; "wire - material" has different resistivities (some visually distinguishable).
3. Atoms are the lattice, electrons are the moving charged particles. Atoms vibrate more with increased temperature, electrons have a net drift.
4. Wire - length, material, temperature seem to affect energy loss.
5. Voltage, wire - resistance affect current values. In series, current is same; in parallel, currents combine/ split.