Electricity basics
What is electricity, and why does a bulb need a loop? Ten short lessons with pictures build up from a single charge to voltage, current, resistance, power and staying safe. Three games let you try each idea as you go, and every lesson ends with a few questions to check yourself. No experience needed.
Your learning path
About 52 minutes in total
Charge: the tiny pull behind all electricity
Rub a balloon on your hair and it sticks to the wall. Meet electric charge, the plus and minus that attract and repel, and try it with a live charge lab.
What is electricity, really?
Picture electricity as water in a pipe. Find out what a battery, a wire and a switch each do.
Voltage: the push that moves electricity
Voltage is the push a battery gives to electricity, like pressure in a water pipe. See what volts measure and why more push means more flow.
Current: how much electricity flows
Current counts how much charge passes a point every second. Learn what an amp is, why electrons drift slowly, and why a bulb lights up at once.
Resistance: what slows electricity down
Resistance is how hard it is for electricity to get through. See why thin wires heat up, what a resistor does and why metals conduct.
Ohm's law: how push, flow and squeeze connect
One short rule links voltage, current and resistance. Work out any of the three, and use it to protect an LED.
Why do some bulbs glow dim?
Two bulbs, one battery, two ways to wire them. Try both and see which one shines and which one shares.
Power and energy: what the watts on a label mean
A kettle is 2,000 watts and a phone charger is 5. Find out what a watt is, how kilowatt-hours add up on a bill, and why LED bulbs save so much.
Electricity and magnets: two sides of one idea
A wire carrying current makes a magnet, and a moving magnet makes current. Build an electromagnet and see how motors and generators work.
Electrical safety: why the wall socket is not a toy
Batteries are gentle but mains electricity is not. Learn why fuses and earth wires exist, how to spot danger and the rules that keep you safe.
Play along
Each game goes with a few of the lessons.
Circuit Rescue
Wire batteries, switches and bulbs to power up a dark spaceship. Find out why some bulbs glow dim and others shine bright.
Play now →GameCurrent Control
Turn the voltage up, squeeze the resistance and watch electricity flow like water in a pipe. Seven missions on Ohm's law, from a lamp to a safe LED.
Play now →GameWatt Wise
Plan an evening at home without tripping the fuse or blowing the energy budget. Compare old and efficient appliances and learn what watts and kWh mean.
Play now →