Electricity Inquiry

Learning Goals:

1. You will accurately sketch a diagram.

2. You will successfully light a light bulb.

3. You will make scientific observations

4. You will identify a circuit.

Shrinking Head Observation

Learning Goals:

1. You will accurately sketch a labeled diagram.

2. You will successfully describe the apple using adjectives.

3. You will make scientific observations.

Science Fair Topic

Learning Goals:

1. You will view the movie.

2. You will successfully take notes in your DBS on where topics can come from.

3. You will come up with three more ideas.

Double Bulb Observation

Learning Goals:

1. You will accurately sketch a labeled diagram.

2. You will successfully light two bulbs.

3. You will make scientific observations.

Your Challenge:

Work with your research partner to light a flashlight bulb!

When you are successful, your team will earn either a Sir Joseph Wilson

Swan Award or a Thomas Alva Edison Certificate of Electrical

Knowledge!

Materials Needed

• Dangerous Book of Science

• Pencil

• Cardboard

• One Flashlight Bulb

• One D-Cell Battery

• One Steel Paper Clip

• Tin Foil

Sir Joseph Wilson Swan Award

This certificate certifies that the owner knows how to light a light bulb using everyday objects.

1860, the English physicist Sir Joseph Wilson Swan (1828-1914) was determined to devise a practical, long-lasting electric light. He found that a carbon paper filament worked well, but burned up quickly. In 1878, he was

the first one to successfully demonstrate his new electric lamps in Newcastle, England.

Mr. Reiner October 8, 2007

_________________________________

Thomas Alva Edison Certificate of Electrical Knowledge

The inventor Thomas Alva Edison (in the USA) experimented with thousands of different filaments to find just the right materials to glow well and be long-lasting. In 1879, Edison discovered that a

carbon filament in an oxygen-free bulb glowed but did not burn up for 40 hours. Edison eventually produced a bulb that could glow for over 1500 hours.

This certificate certifies that the bearer knows how to light a light bulb using everyday objects.

_________________________________

Mr. Reiner October 8, 2007

Since this class is so intelligent...1.  Connect one D-cell to two bulbs.

2.  Connect two D-cells to one bulb.

3.  Connect two D-cells to two bulbs.

4.  Connect two D-cells to three bulbs.  5.  Connect two D-cells to three bulbs.

6.  Connect three D-cells to three bulbs.

7.  Connect two D-cells to two bulbs but    7A. Connect the batteries the same way    7B.  Connect the batteries opposite ways

We discovered that:

There are certain materials that create better paths for electricity.

• Good Conductors

•tin foil

steel

• Poor Conductors

•Cardboard

Craft Sticks

When electricity needs to do a job, there needs to be a unbroken road

to work, and an unbroken road back "home"

• Atlanta Motor Speedway

• This is called a circuit.

This is called a circuit.

Every cell added to the circuit adds more power to the bulb, which

results in a brighter light.

The need for a continuous circuit to make the bulb light

Batteries need to face the same direction?

The lamps in a series circuit are all the same brightness

More bulbs in a series circuit means dimmer lamps

The same number of cells and bulbs in a series circuit means that each bulb is at normal brightness

One cell with two bulbs connected in parallel has the same brightness

Other Ideas We Want To Investigate

Images Copied on 10/6/07 From:

• http://nascarfans.wetpaint.com/page/Atlanta+Motor+Speedway?t=anon

Diagram of How I Lit The Bulb

Diagram of How I Lit The Bulb

Diagram of How I Lit The Bulb

Diagram of How I Lit The Bulb

•Label materials?•Accurate sketch?

•Label materials?•Accurate sketch?

•Label materials?•Accurate sketch?

•Label materials?•Accurate sketch?

Diagram of How I Lit The Bulb

Diagram of How I Lit The Bulb

Diagram of How I Lit The Bulb

Diagram of How I Lit The Bulb

•Label materials?•Accurate sketch?

•Label materials?•Accurate sketch?

•Label materials?•Accurate sketch?

•Label materials?•Accurate sketch?

Before: Circle the materials that you think you need to

light the bulb:

Cardboard

One Flashlight Bulb

One D-Cell Battery

One Steel Paper Clip

Tin Foil

Before: Circle the materials that you think you need to

light the bulb:

Cardboard

One Flashlight Bulb

One D-Cell Battery

One Steel Paper Clip

Tin Foil

Before: Circle the materials that you think you need to

light the bulb:

Cardboard

One Flashlight Bulb

One D-Cell Battery

One Steel Paper Clip

Tin Foil

Before: Circle the materials that you think you need to

light the bulb:

Cardboard

One Flashlight Bulb

One D-Cell Battery

One Steel Paper Clip

Tin Foil

Before: Circle the materials that you think you need to

light the bulb:

Cardboard

One Flashlight Bulb

One D-Cell Battery

One Steel Paper Clip

Tin Foil

During:Use your powers of

observation during your challenge:

-Do you notice heat?  When?

Can you control the light going on and off?

How?

During:Use your powers of

observation during your challenge:

-Do you notice heat?  When?

Can you control the light going on and off?

How?

During:Use your powers of

observation during your challenge:

-Do you notice heat?  When?

Can you control the light going on and off?

How?

During:Use your powers of

observation during your challenge:

-Do you notice heat?  When?

Can you control the light going on and off?

How?

During:Use your powers of

observation during your challenge:

-Do you notice heat?  When?

Can you control the light going on and off?

How?

After:

Why do you think that the bulb lit up?

Why did the bulb not light up?

After:

Why do you think that the bulb lit up?

Why did the bulb not light up?

After:

Why do you think that the bulb lit up?

Why did the bulb not light up?

After:

Why do you think that the bulb lit up?

Why did the bulb not light up?

After:

Why do you think that the bulb lit up?

Why did the bulb not light up?

• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/edison/lightbulb.shtml

• http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bledison.htm