1
Exploring Electricity

• Squishy Circuits, Voltaic Piles, Lemon Batteries,
  and understanding Circuits

2
Agenda

• Squishy Circuits
• Voltaic Cells Penny Battery
• Lemon Batteries
• EKI Circuit Kits

3
Squishy Circuits
Classroom Guide, http//courseweb.stthomas.edu/apt
homas/SquishyCircuits/PDFs/Squishy20Circuits20Cl
assroom20Guide.pdf
4
Additional Activities with Clay

• Resistance Measurements on Play-Doh, Brian Jones
  CSU, http//vip.vast.org/WORKSHEE/PLAYDOH/HOME.HTM
  
• Nature of Resistance(Activity 4), Jim Overhiser
  and Julie Nucci (http//www.cns.cornell.edu/cipt/l
  abs/201020labs20without20answers/Nature20of20
  Resistance.no20answers.pdf)
• Circuits and Resistivity, Rice University,
  http//www.owlnet.rice.edu/phys102/Lab/DC_circuit
  s.pdf

5
Batteries-Voltaic Piles

• A voltaic pile, the first battery, was invented
  about 1800 by Alessandro Volta used the
  interactions of dissimilar to generate an
  electrical. Voltas original voltaic pile used
  zinc and silver disks and a separator consisting
  of a porous non-conducting material saturated
  with sea water (salt water). Over the next 60
  years, different combinations of metals and
  electrolytes were used to make variations of the
  voltaic pile and were the only practical source
  of electricity during that time.

6
Voltaic cells, Penny activities

• Batteries, (Activity 1)- David A. Katz,
  http//www.chymist.com/batteries.pdf
• Penny Battery- Julie Yu Exploratorium,
  http//www.exo.net/jyu/activities/penny20battery
  .pdf
• Penny Battery Video- Science Online,
  http//www.youtube.com/watch?vedMN7P5oCaY

7
Batteries- Lemon Cells

• Batteries, (Activity 3)- David A. Katz,
  http//www.chymist.com/batteries.pdf
• Lemon Battery- hilaroad, http//hilaroad.com/camp/
  projects/lemon/lemon_battery.html
• Lemon Battery video- Science Online,
  http//www.youtube.com/watch?glCAhlenvAY9qcDC
  FeVI

8
EKI Electronic Kits

• The Mr. Circuit I - Discover Electronics Lab is
  recognized around the world as one of the very
  best tools for teaching basic electronics in the
  classroom.  This is because it is hands-on, self
  paced and easy to use - for both teachers and
  students.  This lab includes 33 lessons and
  experiments for learning the basic theory of
  electronics, the major components used in
  electronics, and fun and exciting projects that
  the students build on solderless circuit boards
  and power with a nine volt battery.  There is no
  soldering required for this lab.

9
Additional information for Mr. Circuit

1. Read pages 7-9. Take notes, dont put anything
   together.
2. Copy Color code chart on page 8 into your notes.
3. Take kit out of boxes do inventory.
4. Does the part have polarity? Examples- IC, LED,
   Capacitors,
5. Dont connect 9 V battery until everything is
   assembled.
6. Labs- know purpose, schematic, and definitions.
   (More is Better!) Make sure you look for new
   schematics in each lab.
7. Dont do unauthorized labs!!
8. Do labs in order, everyone takes part.
9. If parts are broken or missing, you may have to
   pay to replace them.
10. If it doesnt work, unhook the 9V, and check it
    again before you ask me to help.

10
Thank you