Conductivity
|

About
Topics
- Conductivity
- Energy Levels
- Photoconductors
Description
Experiment with conductivity in metals, plastics and photoconductors. See why metals conduct and plastics don't, and why some materials conduct only when you shine a flashlight on them.
Sample Learning Goals
- Identify the driving force in a circuit.
- Explain the difference in conducting behavior between metals, plastics, and photoconductors in terms of the difference in the structure of energy levels.
- Explain why shining light on a photoconductor causes it to conduct.
Keywords
For Teachers
Teacher Tips
![]() |
Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ). |
Teacher-Submitted Activities
Title |
![]() |
![]() |
Authors | Level | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conductivity: an inquiry activity (also uses other sims) |
![]() |
![]() |
Trish Loeblein | UG-Intro HS |
Lab HW CQs |
PhET Sims Aligned to the Chemistry Curriculum |
![]() |
Julia Chamberlain | UG-Intro HS |
Other | |
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? |
![]() |
Sarah Borenstein | MS | Other | |
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS |
![]() |
Trish Loeblein | HS | Other | |
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment | Elyse Zimmer | HS MS |
Other | ||
PhET Simulations Aligned for AP Physics C | Roberta Tanner | HS | Other | ||
Conductivity | Carl Bayer | MS | Lab | ||
Intro to Circuits | Katherine Frett | HS | Lab |
Translations
Software Requirements
Windows | Macintosh | Linux |
---|---|---|
Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later
|
OS 10.5 or later Sun Java 1.5.0_19 or later
|
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later
|
Credits
Design Team | Third-party Libraries | Thanks To |
---|---|---|
|