Electricity. Teacher/ParentNotes.

Caution. Theyellowfan. Ifthisisusedwith6Volts,thefanwillflyintotheairwithsomeforcesoitisadvisable tokeepfaceswellawayfromit! Batteries. Pleasetakegreatcarenottodirectlyconnectthetwobatteryterminals togethereitherdirectlyorthroughacircuit.Ifthishappens,thebatterieswillget extremelyhotandcouldburnskiniftouched. Ifyoukithasfusedbatteryholdersthefusewillblowifthebatteryterminalsare directlyconnectedtoeachother.ThisstateisindicatedbythelittleLEDclosetothe fuseshiningred.Thisisasafetymeasuretoprotecttheuser.Tocarryonusingthe batteries,replacethefusewithanewone.Becarefulnottorepeatthemistakethat causedtofusetoblowinthefirstplace. Replacementfusescanbepurchasedfrommostretailelectricaloutlets.Taketheold fusewithyouoraskfora20mm.250voltfuseratedat2amps. Electricity,Whatisit? Electricityisaflowofelectrons.Anelectronisthesmallestpartofanatomand rotatesaroundthenucleusbindingtheatomstogether. Itisveryimportanttopointouttochildrenthedangersofusingmainselectricity. Noneoftheideasasshowninanyofthesekitsshouldeverbeattemptedusing mainsvoltage. TheBattery. Abatteryisastoreofelectronsproducedbythereactionbetweenthemetalofthe caseandachemicalinsidethecase. Whenthepositiveandnegativeterminalsare connectedasinanelectriccircuit,electronsflowaroundthecircuit.Thevoltageisa measureofthepressurewithwhichtheelectronsflows.TheAmperageisameasure oftheamountofelectronsthatflow. Inmaterialsthatconductelectricity,likemetals,thereisanelectronthatiseasily pushedoutoforbitfromthefirstatomandintotheorbitofthenextatom.Thisinturn knocksanelectronfrom thesecondatomintothethirdatomandsoon.Thisisthe wayelectricityflowsaroundthecircuitandbecauseofthis,thereisnomeasurable timedelayinthemovementofelectronsbetweenoneendofthecircuitandthe other.

Directionoftheflowofelectricity. Electricityflowsfrompositivetonegative,howeverelectronsflowfromnegativeto positive.Thiscontradictorystateofaffairsexistsbecausethedirectionofflowof electricitywasdecidedlongbeforescientistsdiscoveredtheelectron.Today,the standardflowofelectricityisacceptedasbeingfrompositivetonegative.Itis howeverimportantforstudentstoknowthefacts,itisuptoindividualstodecide whentointroducetheconceptofelectronflow. Electricityasaproduceroflightandheat. Whenelectronsareforcedthroughathinwireasinthefilamentofabulborthe elementofanelectricfire,somuchheatisgeneratedbyfrictioncreatedwhenthe electronsbrushpasteachother,thatthefilamentglowsredorwhitehot. Electricityasaproducerofmovement. Whenelectricityflowsthroughawire,itproducestheeffectofamagnet.Ifthewireis coiledaroundanail,itproducesapowerfulmagneticeffect.Thiselectromagnetic forceisthebasisonwhichtheelectromagnetandelectricmotorworks. BulbsinSeriesandParallel. Whenbulbsareconnectedtogetherinseries,theelectricityhastoflowthroughthe filamentsofbothbulbsbeforeitcangetbacktothebattery. Thefilamentsinseriesactasahighresistancetotheflowandthisslowsdownthe speedatwhichtheelectronstravel.Thebrightnessofbothbulbswillbeonlyhalfas brightasonebulbonitsown. Ifthebulbsareconnectedinparallel,theelectronshavetostillflowthroughthe filamentsofbothbulbsbut,wiredinparallel,theyofferalowresistancetotheflow andsothebulbsglowwiththesamebrightnessasonebulbonitsown.

Beforewereallygetgoing,letsdoalittlerevisionofelectriccircuits.

Experiment1.ACompleteCircuit?
Startbymakingthiscircuit.

Slidetheswitch15totheONposition,thebulbshouldlightup.Ifitdoesnot,first checkthatthebulbisscrewedproperlyintothebulbholderandifthisdoesnotwork, trysomefreshbatteries.

Withthebulbstillalight,removethetopblueconnector3.Notewhathappenstothe bulb.Replacethetopblueconnecter3andnowslowlyunscrewthebulbfromits holder,againnotewhathappenstothebulb.Screwthebulbbackintoitsholderand switchoff. Youhavejustprovedthatifelectricityistoflowaroundacircuit,the circuitmustbecomplete.Ifthereisabreakinthecircuitforany reason,likeremovingtheblueconnectororunscrewingthelamp,theelectricityis unabletoflowandthebulbwillnotlightup. Justincaseyouwondered,lookontheundersideoftheblue connecter3andyouwillseeapieceofwireconnectingthetwopressstudstogether. Thenextquestionis,canweusejustanythingtoconnectupa circuit?

Experiment2.Willjustanythingdotomakeacircuit?
Inthissection,weneedtofindoutifmaterialsotherthanmetalcanbeusedtomake aelectriccircuit. Youwillneedsomethingmadeofwood,plasticandmetal.Rulersareoftenmadeof woodorplasticandsoarepencilsandpens.Apieceofbakingfoilwilldoforthe metalorperhapsahairslide,scissors,apapercliporapieceofsilverpaper. Usingthesamecircuit,switchontocheckthatthebulblightsupandthenremove theblueconnector3. Now,inplaceoftheblueconnector,trythewood,plasticandmetal.Makecertain thatthewood,plasticormetaltouchesthepresstudsonthebulbholderandthe batteryatthesametime.Ifthebulblightsup,putaYesinthesecondcolumnofthe tablebelow.
Material String Wood Plastic Metal Didthebulblightup? No Conductor Insulator

Youmayliketotrysomeotherthingslikepaperor,ifyoucanfindit,alengthof pencilled. Materialslikestring,donotallowelectricitytoflow,theyarecalledInsulators. Ifitdidallowelectricitytoflow,thenitwouldbecalledaconductor.

WhenisaBatterynotaBattery?
Inthiscircuit,youareusingabatterymadeupoftwo1.5Voltcellssothevoltageof thebatteryis3Volts.Thecellsareconnectedtogetherinseries,sothevoltageisthe sumofthevoltagesofbothcells.Asscientists,wemustgetusedtousingthe correctnamesforthepartsweuse.

Experiment3.SeriesorParallel?
Inthisexperimentyouaregoingtousethesamebulbandmotorineachcircuit.In thefirstcircuit,theywillbeconnectedinseriesandinthesecondcircuittheywillbe connectedinparallel.Weneedtofindouttheadvantagesanddisadvantagesof eachcircuit. Firstmakeuptheseriescircuitlikethis.

Itiscalledaseriescircuitbecausetheelectricityhastogothrougheachofthe componentsbeforeitcangetbackintothebatterysointhiscircuit,themotorand thelampsharethe3Volts. Switchondoesthebulblightupandthemotorrun?Iftheydo,Switchoff. Whataboutthebrightnessofthebulbandthespeedofthemotor? Tohelpanswerthisquestion,takeanotherblueconnector3outofthebox. Switchonagainandremovethemotor,quicklycliptheblueconnector3initsplace. Doesthebulbgetbrighter?Brightnessisquiteeasytojudge,butwhataboutthe speedofthemotor? Thebestwaytojudgethespeedofthemotoristolistenthenoiseitmakes.The higherthepitchofthesound,thefasteritisrotating Totestthespeedofthemotor,swapoverthepositionsofthebulbandthemotorin thecircuitandthenrepeatthetestasyoudidforthebulb.Didyoufindthatthemotor turnedfasterwithoutthebulbinthecircuit? Onemoreexperimenttotry.Putthebulbbackintothecircuitandswitchon.Now unscrewthebulbandnotewhathappenstothespeedofthe motorthenscrewthebulbupagainandswitchoff. Fromourexperiments,thisiswhatwefoundout. Whenconnectedinseries,bulbslightuplessbrightlyandmotorsrotatemoreslowly,

thisisbecausetheelectricityhastoflowthroughone componentandthentheothersotheysharethevoltage.Ifonecomponentbreaks, theothercomponentswillnotworkbecausetheelectricitycannotflowbacktothe battery NowitstimetoexperimentwithParallelcircuits. Makeupthiscircuit.

Switchon,lookatthebrightnessofthebulbandlistentothespeedofthemotor, howdotheycomparewiththeseriescircuit?Aboutthesame brightnessandspeedorbrighterandfaster? Removethemotor,whathappenstothebulb?Replacethemotorand removethebulb,doesthemotorstillrun? Ifyouneedtocheckanything,makeuptheseriescircuitagainandcheckitout. Sowecansaythisaboutaparallelcircuit. Whenconnectedinparallel,bulbslightupbrightlyandmotorsrunfasterthanwhen connectedinseries. Ifonecomponentbrakes,theotherswillcontinuetoworkastheelectricityisstillable toflowbackintothebattery.Allcomponentsinaparallelcircuitgetthefullbattery voltage.

Experiment4. Switches.
Switchesareusedtocontrolanelectriccircuit.Whenacircuitisnotbeingused,the switchshouldalwaysbeintheoffposition.Makeupthecircuitshownbelow. Theswitchsimplyturnsthebulbonandoff. Removingtheblueconnectorwoulddothe samebutitisnotsoconvenient! Thisswitchiscalledaslideswitchbutthere aremanyothertypes.Athomeorinyour classroomthelightsareturnedonandoffwith arockerswitch.Yourtorchmayhaveapressswitchtomakeitflash. Inyourkitthereisanewtypeofswitch,calledareedswitch,itispart number13,takeitoutandhavealookatit.Insidetheglassorplastic envelope,therearetwothinpiecesofmetalthatdonottoucheachother,however whenamagnetisbroughtclosetothemtheyareforcedtogetherandelectricitycan flowthroughit.

Removetheslideswitchandreplaceitwiththereedswitch.Usethe circularmagnetfromthekitandslideitpastthereedswitch,thebulbshouldflashon andoffasthemagnetpassesthereedswitch.Ifyoulistencarefully,youshouldbe abletoheartheswitchworking. Thistypeofswitchcouldbeusedtoswitchalightonwhenadoorisopened,very muchlikearefrigeratorlightcomesonwhenthedoorisopenedandgoesoffwhen thedoorisclosed.

Experiment5. LEDs(Lightemittingdiodes)
AnLEDisapolariseddevice.Thismeansthatitissensitivetothedirectionofthe flowofelectricity.Toseewhatthismeans,usetheLED17inplaceofthebulbinthe lastcircuit.Thepositiveend(theendwiththe+sign)shouldbeconnectedtothe blueconnector.SwitchontocheckyourLEDlightsup.Ifitdoesnot,swaptheLED aroundandtryagain.TheLEDwillonlygiveoutlightwhentheelectricityisflowing frompositivetonegative(+to). Becauseitusesverylittleelectricity,itisoftenusedasanindicatorlighttoshowthat somethingisworking.

Experiment6. ElectricMotors,forwardsandreverse.
Youhavealreadyusedanelectricmotorbutwedidnottakeanynoticeofwhichway itrotated.Electricmotorscanrotatebothwaysdependingonwhichwaythe electricityflowsthroughit.Thisisveryusefulifwewanttomakesomethinggo backwardsaswellasforwards! Makeupthiscircuit.Clipthepositiveterminalofthemotortothepositiveterminalon thebattery. Switchon,notedownwhichwayitrotates.Turnthe motoraround,andagainnotethe directionofrotation. Asyouwillhaveseen,whenthe+terminalonthe motorisconnectedtothe+terminalonthebattery, themotorrunsclockwiseandwhentheterminalon themotorisconnectedtothe+terminalonthe battery,themotorrunsanticlockwise.