Introduction to the Chemistry of Electronics

Computing devices and electronics have become involved in every area of our lives.  Some kind of digital electronics are involved in the circuitry. Have you ever wondered what is going on inside of these devices?  What are they made of?

Well, this WebQuest will guide you to answer some of these questions.

This webquest will introduce students to vocabulary used in chemistry and electronics.

Chemistry is used everywhere improve our lives. Elements are necessary for our bodies to work effectively, to make all sorts of electronic devices, and to create alloys of metallic elements used in buildings, transportation, and many other modern objects

    Discussing and explaining the chemistry requires a certain familiarity with the vocabulary of chemistry and electronics.  So you will start your webquest by defining the some terms used in chemistry and electronics

Students will also investigate the functions of electronic components. Students will investigate how and why certain elements and chemicals are used to produce these different electronic components which form the basis of computing devices.  Students will then fill in a table and provide a picture, a function and the material used to produce several electronic components.

    Lastly students will write a summery that describes what each of the components does in an electronic device and describe which property of the material makes it suitable to create that component.

Open a Word document to record what you found for each section.  Label them Task 1, Task 2, Task 3, and Task 4.

Task 1:  Define the following terms and answer the questions that relates to them (in the Word document you already created!)

Question 1: What is primarily used in a computer chips:  Metals, Non-metals, or Metalloids?  Give a brief explanation as to why you think so.

Define:  Metal, Non-metal, Metalloid, Conductor, Semiconductor

Helpful links:  http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-periodic-table-metals-nonmetals-and-metalloids.html

http://chemistry.about.com/od/periodictables/ss/Metals-Nonmetals-and-Metalloids-Periodic-Table.htm

http://www.semiconductors.org/semiconductors/about_semiconductors/

Question 2:  How are alloys and compounds similar?  How are they different?

Define:  Compound, alloy

Helpful links:  http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-alloy-and-vs-compound/

Question 3:  What three electrical properties does Ohm's Law relate?

Define:  Electricity, Resistor, Capacitor, Transistor, LED, Fuse

Helpful Links:  http://www.resistorguide.com/materials/

http://www.capacitorguide.com/

http://www.electrical4u.com/electrical-fuse-hrc-fuse-high-rupturing-capacity/

Or google!

Define:  Printed Circuit Board (PCB), Breadboard, and Solder

Helpful links:  https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-use-a-breadboard#history

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Elec_primer-solder.shtml#overview

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/pcb-basics

Question 4:  Why is it advantageous to use a breadboard?

Task 2:  For each component listed below, answer "What is it?" "What is it made of?" and include a picture (a google search will work fine) of what it looks like.

Example:  A resistor is ...

               A resistor is made of ....

               And it looks like ...

Components to look up:

Resistor

Capacitor

Transformer

LED

Breadboard

PCB (Printed Circuit Board)

Solder

Task 3:  Use your defined vocabulary terms, completed component table and knowledge gained during your investigation to write an essay that describes what each of the eight components are used for in electronics. Then describe what properties the materials used to create the component have that allow the component to function.

Task 4:  Now that you’ve gotten a little more comfortable with what each component does, we can start building our own circuits.  

Visit the website:

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/circuit-construction-kit-dc

and click on the green button that says “Run Now!” to open the Java program.

We are going to construct two types of circuits:  a series and a parallel circuit and measure the current and voltage through each.  In the program, construct a circuit as pictured below (the 1 and 2 will be for referring to the resistors later).

Is this a series or parallel circuit?  If you’re not sure, check out this link:

http://edwardcho-sph3u.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-is-difference-between-parallel.html

The default for the battery is 9V and for the resistors is 10 Ω.  We don’t need to change anything (yet).  Under the “Tools” section, click the “Voltmeter” box and a device will pop up that looks like this.

Place the black and red lead on the wire to read the voltage (the picture below shows how … but the reading is erased.  Discover for yourself!)

The last step is to click “non-contact ammeter.”  Hover the ammeter above the wire to read what the current is.

For Circuit 1, your resistors are both 10 Ω.

For Circuit 2, resistor 2 will be changed to 20 Ω (right click the resistor to change).

For Circuit 3 and 4, construct a circuit that looks like this:

Circuit 3, your resistors will both be 10 Ω.

Circuit 4, resistor 1 will stay 10 Ω but resistor 2 will be 20 Ω.

Copy and Paste the table below into your OWN Word Doc and fill it in with the readings gathered from your circuits.

In a series circuit, the ___________ is the same at all points throughout the circuit.

In a parallel circuit, the ___________ is the same at all points throughout the circuit.

In a series circuit, the voltage across each resistor adds up to ________________________________.

In a parallel circuit, the current through each resistor adds up to _______________________________.

Product Rubric

Process Rubric

    By completing this webquest you should have gained a better understanding of the electronics in the world around you including some of the components that are used to create them.  You will have also increased your scientific and electronic vocabulary.

We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original author's name is retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. On the line after the original author's name, you may add Modified by (your name) on (date). If you do modify it, please let me know and provide the new URL.

Name:  ________________________________  

Task 1

Define the following terms and answer the questions that relates to them (in the Word document you already created!)

Question 1: What is primarily used in a computer chips:  Metals, Non-metals, or Metalloids?  Give a brief explanation as to why you think so.

Define:  Metal, Non-metal, Metalloid, Conductor, Semiconductor

Question 2:  How are alloys and compounds similar?  How are they different?

Define:  Compound, alloy

Question 3:  What three electrical properties does Ohm's Law relate?

Define:  Electricity, Resistor, Capacitor, Transformer, LED, Fuse

Question 4:  Why is it advantageous to use a breadboard?

Define:  Printed Circuit Board (PCB), Breadboard, and Solder

Task 2 Answer sheet

Task 4 Answer Page

It's a series circuit.

In a series circuit, the current is the same at all points.

In a parallel circuit, the voltage is the same at all points.

In a series circuit, the voltage across each resistor adds up to be the total battery voltage.

In a parallel circuit, the current through each resistor adds up to be the total current coming from the battery.