Simple DC motor for student K-1

This is one of the simplest motors that a young student can make using a coil of magnet wire and a permanent magnet. Simple, yet it demonstrates a principle found in all motors that electrical current produces a magnetic field that in turn forces the motor to spin. The coil is made of 6 feet of 22 ga magnet wire wrapped around a D-cell. The coil is tied by twisting the ends of the wire around the coil directly across from each other. The wire is also used as the axel for rotation. The enamel coating is removed from the wire axels used to hold up the coil. The electrical current flows through the L bracket holding the coil up and then though the coil's bare wire contacting to the bracket. The motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.

How to see an atom

About 2500 years ago, Democritus wrote his philosophy that the universe was made up of atoms without any proof of their existence. For the past couple hundred years, chemists has been using the atomic theory without actual proof atoms, because it worked in practice. Today, we have electron microscopes as shown in this picture that can see atoms. It is no longer a philosophy, but a theory. Atoms are so small that light microscope still cannot see the atoms, it take beam of electrons to see atoms. It is interesting that it takes a microscope using beams of small pieces of an atom, electrons, in order to see the atoms itself. Electrons are more than a 1000 times smaller than an atom.

Model of an atom

Here is a model of an atom that cost about $4 to make out of Styrofoam balls, flower wire, and a play dough container that a 6-year old can make. The Styrofoam balls represent the 3 subatomic particles; electron, proton, and neutron. Electron balls were marked with a negative symbols, -, proton balls were marked with a positive symbols, +.  and neutron balls were marked with a neutral symbols, 0. The flower wire was made into a circle to represent the electron orbitals on the outside the atom. The electrons were strung on the wire, because the electrons are located in the shell of the atom. The proton and neutron balls were nailed together with tooth picks and represent the nucleus or center of the atom. The nucleus was held in the center with flower wire. A play dough container was used as a stand for the model. Electrons used in electricity come from the outer shell of atoms. The atom cannot be broken into smaller pieces, but some atoms shed some their electrons to make electricity.

In The Beginning

A long long time ago in a faraway country, there was a Greek Philosopher named Democritus who noticed that if he broke a stone in half, that each half looked alike. He asked the question, if you break a piece of stone in half, and then break it in half again, how many breaks will you have to make before you can break it no further? Democritus thought there would be a final piece that could not be broken again, and he called it the atomos, in Greek that meant uncuttable.  Today thousands of years after Democritus, we use the word atom to describe this smallest uncuttable particle and we can prove these particles exist using powerful microscopes. We give Democritus and his teacher Leucippus credit for first thinking of the atom. Atoms are important because without atoms there would be no electricity since electricity comes from atoms. He was nicknamed “the laughing philosopher.”

From Lemons to Light

Electricity is just one form of energy, chemical and radiant are two other forms of energy. While energy is neither created or destroyed, it does change forms and we depend on that in our everyday lives. In this experiment, chemical energy is converted to electrical energy that in turn is converted to radiant energy. The word battery used to mean two or more military canons. Today, a collection of electrical cells is called a battery. This use of the word battery was started by Benjamin Franklin when he compared the power of a group of electrical cells to the power of a group or battery of canons. A battery of lemon cells produced enough power to make light. Most people call anything that converts chemical energy to electrical energy a battery, but technically a battery is a collection electrical cells.

The Lemon Battery

Did you know that you can get electricity out of a lemon? Well, you also need a zinc coated nail and copper wire. Lemons have a strong sour taste, because they have citric acid in them. The acid in the lemon reacts with the nail, and makes electricity flow from the nail to the copper. Take a look at the zinc after awhile, it changes color because of a chemical reaction. Why don’t we just tape lemons to our cellphones? Silly question. But, did you ever wonder who made the first battery and what life would be like without them? Batteries gives electricity because of chemical reactions like the lemon battery. A man named Alessandro Volta made the first battery 316 years ago, and they has been getting better ever since. Today, we love our batteries and need them for our toys? What do you think will replace batteries in the future?

The Children's Electroscope Demonstration

A Styrofoam plate is rubbed with wool and the foam plate becomes charged with static electricity. The electroscope is placed on the charged foam plate and the charge disperses over the aluminum pan and ball. The pan and ball repel each other, because they both have the same negative charge. When a finger touches the ball, the charge is drained from the ball and it becomes positive. Now, the positive ball becomes attracted to the pan. When it swings back and touches the pan, it becomes negative again and repels. A finger touch makes it positive again and it goes back toward the pan. This cycle continues until the pan is discharged. This teaches children about the charges and flow of electricity.

Children's Electroscope

"Electricity is the flow of electrons" is an important developmental concept for children to learn. The ball electroscope was invented in 1754 by John Canton. Today, a children’s version can be found at www.nuclearconnect.org/in-the-classroom/for-teachers/making-atoms-visible-electroscope. (image from this source) This is a device that a 6-years can make, have fun with, and learn about electrons. A Styrofoam plate is taped to a table and rubbed with wool or polyester. The electroscope is put on top of the Styrofoam plate. The aluminum ball repels from the aluminum plate indicating that they both have excess electrons. If the aluminum plate is touched, then the excess electrons will flow away through the person and the ball will drop to show the loss. This experiment also introduces the concept of conductor and insulator. Touching the Styrofoam cup has no effect because it is a insulator while touching the aluminum discharges because it is a conductor. All electrical circuits depend upon conductors to channel the flow of electricity.

Discovering electricity has charge.

Hang a balloon using a piece of thread. Rub the balloon with a piece of wool. Electrons will rub off the wool onto the balloon. Electrons are negative in charge and the balloon will become negatively charged because of the extra electrons on it. Objects around the balloon are now positively charged, and the balloon will be attracted to them, like a hand or the wall. Rub another balloon with wool and make it negatively charged, also. When it comes close to the hanging balloon, the balloons will repel each other. Like charges repel each other. Electricity has positive and negative charge.

Ancient Greeks noticed that amber attracted small objects

The words electric and electricity came from the ancient Greek word for amber, ἤλεκτρον (ēlektron). Thousands of years ago, ancient Greeks noticed that amber attracted small objects when rubbed with fur. Amber is expensive and rare, however balloons also attract small objects when rubbed with fur, your hair. Rediscover what the Greeks saw long ago. Cut small pieces of paper onto a table. Rub a balloon against your fur, hair. The pieces of paper are attracted to the balloon. The negative charge of the balloon attracts the positive charge of the paper, almost like magnets. Today, we know that everything is made of atoms and atoms contain both negative electrons and positive protons. When electrons are rubbed off the hair onto the balloon it give the balloon a negative charge. The balloon attracts the more positive paper toward the balloon. The balloon is said to have an electrical negative charge. It is important to know that electricity has a positive and negative charge, like the ends of a battery are positive and negative.

Who invented electricity?

That answer would be a good place to start studying electricity. The problem is that nobody invented electricity; it has always been in our environment. Text books credit Ben Franklin with discovering electricity. However, Franklin only confirmed that lightning and electricity were the same in his famous kite experiment. People discover your characteristics like name, age, likes, and dislikes. It is the characteristics of electricity that has been discovered throughout history by scientists. Ben Franklin discovered positive and negative charge, conductance, storage, and flow of electricity, etc. People have invented ways to use electricity, and that is exciting, like Edison and the light bulb. One way to teach electricity to children is guide them to discover the characteristics of electricity as they unfolded throughout history and electrical inventions. Today we know electricity as form flow the subatomic particles called electrons from a source of higher potential to lower potential and the flows energy can be converted to light, heat, motion, sound, magnetism, and other forms of energy.  The goal of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to discover for themselves characteristics of electricity with the premise that discovery piques interest and learning. However, we will not be playing with lightning.

The Simple Electric Circuit

I found this picture after googling “simple electric circuit.” Classically, the starting place for teaching electricity is with a simple circuit. It is hard to go wrong with the classics, like a knife switch, lamp holder, and light bulb powered by a D cell. This will be built on a wood board to give it some permanence with the goal of it being played with and studied. I plan to add Fahnestock clips and wire with alligator clips to study conducting and insulating materials on the same circuit board. I think I found some competitive prices at Novatech International. However, I was disappointed that they charged $14 in shipping. It was practically a one stop shop for these educational parts. I plan to get the boards and screws at Home Depot. It is important for students to understand that electricity is the flow of electrons through conducting materials that is then converted to energy, in this case light. Sadly, even this simple circuit will cost $10 to make. Economic barriers are one of the hardest challenges to overcome in teaching science.

Fun with Electricity K-1 Course Charter

• Reasons for undertaking the project

The main reason for this course is to inspire children to learn. I was the kind of kid that after I did an experiment, I would go to the library to find out how it worked. I experiments for the fun of it because they looked cool to me but then I was challenged by them to understand, albeit this occurred at 7th grade not 1st. So, I think the experiments have to be attention getters that pique interest and curiosity.

• Objectives and constraints of the project

The object is to create inspiration science experiments in electricity, assemble kits, and delivery a 6 week course to 6 year olds. I only have 6 2-hour classes to do this, and the project materials cannot be over $50 in cost.

• Directions concerning the solution

One aspect of being a PhD at Super Saturday is that I am free to be self-directed in how the objectives are reached and that is like a fun science project in itself.

• Identities of the main stakeholders

There are 4 stakeholders, 1) the students, 2) the parents, 3) the Parent Association for Gifted Education, and 4) me. The interests of all four parties are to be met. There is an invisible stakeholder that I keep in mind and that is any little scientist in the world that would be inspired by these experiments. I do have a goal to publish these experiments.

• In-scope and out-of-scope items

Time, cost, quality, and human resources. The project is limited to 12 hours of course work and about 56 evenings of preparation and planning time, since I also work full time. These are gifted children, so the quality has to be exemplary. Lab fees are limited to $50, a teen leader will help with the students, and at least two parents volunteer to help each week.

• Risks identified early on

Safety is a concern with electricity since kids seem to be ingenious at getting circuits to smoke. There is also a risk that some kids get bored and some are over whelmed. Sometimes, children feel social anxiety in an unfamiliar class situation.

• Target project benefits

Early education on electricity would be beneficial to any child growing up in these times. The target benefit is to enjoy the experiments and to be inspired to learn more about electricity. I would like them to leave with pleasant feelings and knowledge about electricity and a sense of accomplishment.

• High level budget and spending authority

The course fee is $85 and the lab fee at $50.