Electrical Entrepreneurs – Explorer: Skill Level One

EXPLORER – Skill Level: One

Activity:

It’s Electrifying!

 

Objective: Build a simple electrical generator
Life Skill: Wise Use of Resources
Science Skills: Build, Infer, Use Tools

What You Will Need:
Simple: Electrical Generator Kit (available on loan from Extension Office)
or
Difficult: The Creative Science Centre Instructions
http://www.creative-science.org.uk/gen1.html

Preparation Activities:
Review the instructions for building and demonstrating electrical generators and choose which one you will pursue. The more difficult option will require more time and cost gathering materials, but may be of greater educational value.

Activity:
motor: electrical to mechanical, a current flown through coil in presence of magnetic field results in motion

generator: mechanical to electrical, a coil is rotated in a magnetic field causes generation of electricity

Assist the youth in building a generator. If choosing to build one of the more difficult versions, draw their attention to the hand crank or drill. Talk about the difference between a motor and generator.

Asking the right questions:
What kind of energy is being used to create the electricity? If we are using a drill to create electricity what does the drill use? When you use the muscles in your arms to turn a crank are you using energy? What could replace the hand crank? (fan blades and a resource like wind or water)