Complete then test a simple low voltage circuit.
Use a:
Bulb, buzzer, motor, meter, different switches.
Use the probes to test the blue wires on the left. Which lettered terminal is connected to which numbered terminal?
Also test the bulb on the R-hand side to find out which fuse is blown.
How do you make the LED light up? (Probes the right way round).
Place hands – one on each plate – to test electrical conductivity. Try dry/ wet hands and the other materials provided.
Use the probe on the other side to test the electrical conductivity of nearby materials.
What do you think makes a good electrical conductor (try pencil graphite – one of the few non-metals)?
Use an electro magnet to test for magnetism. Try: iron nails; nuts; small compasses; a circuit with a a magnetic switch.
Turn the wheel to make the generator power a motor, radio and torch. Each item can be turned on/ off independently.
Investigate what happens when you have more/ fewer devices turned on. (Do you have to turn the wheel at a different speed? Is it more difficult?)
Place your hands on two different metallic plates – one on each side - and use the meter to see how much current you generate when your body fluids act as the electrolyte in the battery.
Drop a piece of steel or a magnet through wire windings to see which generates an electric current in the wire.
Convert electrical energy into sound energy. Use the morse key and the morse alphabet to send messages to a friend and decode their messages.
Left: investigate resistance by connecting different resistors or a section of pencil to a motor.
Right: try altering the resistance between the music box and the speakers.
Electrical current is decreased by resistance. Conductors have low resistance; insulators have high resistance to stop the flow.
See a solar panel generate electricity to drive a motor. Investigate what happens if you allow more or less light to fall on the panel by opening or closing it or using filters.
Rub the domes with the different cloths to create a static charge and make the polystyrene beads or pieces of foil jump.
This exhibit does not work well in damp conditions.
See how wind energy (from the fan) can be converted into electrical energy by the wind turbines. Turn them into and out of the wind and use the meter to investigate the effect on the amount of electricity generated.
