Lesson Plan: Diodes Physics
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how diodes work and what materials are used in their construction.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- recognize that a diode is a circuit component that only allows current in one direction through it,
- recognize and draw the circuit symbol for a diode,
- identify where there will or will not be a current in a circuit due to the action of diodes in the circuit,
- recognize the current–potential difference characteristics of a diode from a graph of current against potential difference.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- current,
- potential difference,
- resistance,
- ohmic resistors,
- the symbols for basic circuit components: a cell, a battery, a bulb, a resistor
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- semiconductors,
- how semiconductor-based diodes work,
- how other kinds of diodes work,
- LEDs,
- transistors,
- rectification of ac using diodes.