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| Observe, Question, Think...about Electricity!! |
How does electricity work? You only need one LED Christmas light to make this fun STEM flashlight to begin the conversation. There are many other STEM projects on-line using materials around the house.
Start with a few observations and questions. Count all of the plug- in electrical devices or battery devices in your home. How does electricity work? What famous American scientist experimented with electricity? Think: key and a kite. Children often start with seeing static electricity by rubbing a balloon on dry hair or pulling apart two cloths from a dryer in a dark room. They talk about electrons, protons, atoms, and matter very early.
STEM
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| Make a Flashlight... |
To make a flashlight that controls the flow of electrons, you will need sandpaper, five pennies dated after 1982 (copper coated zinc), salt, a little pool of water in a dish, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, four poster board circles cut a bit smaller than the size of a penny, paper toweling, a white or red LED light (use the least electricity), and clear packing tape or electrical tape.
Use sandpaper to remove the copper from the Lincoln side (thinnest) of four pennies. It should be shiny.
Add salt to the water a little at a time and stir. Keep adding salt until no more salt dissolves (super saturated). Then add the vinegar and stir to combine. Now put the thin cardboard pieces in the salt and vinegar until they are soaked. Place on a paper towel. Now build the battery by taking one of the sanded pennies zinc side up and placing a piece of wet cardboard on top. Stack another penny zinc side up and another cardboard piece. Continue with the of the rest of the sanded pennies and cardboard.
Place the final un-sanded penny on top. Check that all zinc sides are facing up with a layer of cardboard covering each and the top and bottom of the battery stack are copper. Pennies should not touch each other.
Flashlight
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| Electricity is ALL Around Us! |
Turn on your flashlight by connecting the longer leg of the LED light to the top penny (positive end) and the shorter leg to the bottom penny. When the light is lit, secure it with tape. Can you make a stronger battery with more pennies? Can you recharge your battery by re-soaking the cardboard?
How does this work? When the two different metals surfaces (electrodes) are connected by the salty vinegar solution (electrolyte) a chemical reaction occurs. The zinc reacts with the saltwater to create electrons and the copper reacts with saltwater to use the electrons. When the LED light is connected, electrons have a controlled flow or circuit
More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest
Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos
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