Starter quiz
- What is the primary function of an electric cell?
- To store electricity
- To act as an insulator
- To produce a voltage ✓
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- In electrolysis, what type of ions does the anode attract?
- Negative ions ✓
- Neutral particles
- Positive ions
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- What type of reaction occurs in an electric cell to produce a voltage?
- Chemical reaction ✓
- Nuclear reaction
- Physical reaction
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- What are the two types of terminals in an electric cell?
- Anode and cathode ✓
- Positive and negative
- North and south
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- What happens if the circuit is incomplete?
- Current cannot flow ✓
- The circuit becomes a parallel circuit
- The voltage increases
-
- Which component in a circuit can be used to control the flow of electricity?
- Battery
- Switch ✓
- Wire
-
Exit quiz
- What do electric cells contain that react to produce a voltage?
- 'chemicals' ✓
- How are electric cells connected to form a battery?
- In parallel
- In series ✓
- Randomly
-
- The voltage produced by an electric cell depends on ...
- the type of electrolyte used. ✓
- the temperature of the cell.
- the size of the cell.
- the materials used for the electrodes. ✓
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- What is the total voltage of a circuit with three electric cells of voltage 2.0 V, 1.5 V, and 1.0 V connected in series to form an electric battery?
- 1.0 V
- 1.5 V
- 2.0 V
- 4.5 V ✓
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- What happens in a rechargeable battery when an external voltage is applied?
- The battery is insulated
- The chemical reaction is reversed ✓
- The voltage increases
-
- What is the purpose of connecting electric cells in series?
- To decrease the voltage
- To increase the voltage ✓
- To store electricity
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Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Electric cells contain a store of chemicals that react to produce a voltage across two electrical contacts.
- An electric cell made of two different metals in contact with an electrolyte, produces a voltage across the metals.
- The size of voltage across an electric cell depends on the materials it is made from.
- A battery is made of one or more electric cells, which can be connected in series to produce a larger voltage.
- The chemical reaction in a rechargeable battery is reversed when an external voltage is connected across it.
Common misconception
Understanding which way the electrons flow in the electric cell and explaining why the voltage is sometimes recorded as negative.
The more reactive metal is always oxidised, i.e. looses electrons which flow towards the less reactive metal. Demonstrate that a negative voltage is seen when the electrical leads connected to the voltmeter are swapped around.
Keywords
Electric cell - A device that contains a store of chemicals that react to produce a voltage across two electrical contacts.
Voltage - This is a measure of the difference in energy between two parts of a circuit. It is measured in volts.
Electrolyte - A liquid or aqueous salt solution that contains freely moving ions.
Electric battery - An electric cell, or several cells joined together in series, that can push current around a complete circuit to transfer energy to each component.