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ELECTRICITY
TRAVELING EXHIBIT
K-12 EDUCATOR’S GUIDE
What is static electricity?
What is current electricity?
How do we use electricity?
The “Electricity” exhibit invites you
and your students to consider these
questions and find answers.
During your visit, students will:
Interact with devices that show how electricity works.
Learn about natural sources of electricity.
Explore forces of electromagnetism.
After your visit, students will:
Understand how charged particles interact.
Know the difference between static and current.
Appreciate applications and uses of electricity.
EXHIBIT OVERVIEW
The “Electricity” exhibit features four major themes:
static electricity, current electricity, electromagnetism,
and the applications and uses of electricity. Each section
is described more fully below.
As you enter the exhibit, you are asked to consider that electricity
has always existed in nature.
It wasn’t until the eighteenth century, that scientists, including
Benjamin Franklin, began to understand the basic principles of
natural electricity. Franklin suspected, and proved, that lightning
is a stream of electrically-charged particles.
Students are next asked to explore static electricity where
they learn about static charge and that, while lightning can be
terrifying, it is actually a fairly simple phenomenon.
Triboelectricity
The hard part is controlling those charged particles. In the current
electricity section, students discover how electricity flows.
The content in the electromagnetism devices helps students see how
magnetic materials help to generate and regulate electrical charges.
Finally, with a safe, steady flow of current electricity, the applications
and uses of electricity become endless.
Encourage your students to discuss the many ways they use
electricity every day. Help them see the relevance of the exhibit
content to their everyday lives.
Electrostatic Generator
STATIC ELECTRICITY
Electrostatic Generator
Build up a static electricity charge with a wool cloth and
plastic cylinder. Then, feel the “electric fire” as you hold
your finger an inch away from the brass sphere.
Triboelectricity
Create charged particles by rubbing the plastic top of
the box with wool or other materials. The charged plastic
induces a charge in the loose materials inside the box
which are then attracted to the top.
Plasma Tube
Create lightning in a tube! The tube is filled with a mixture
of gases that reacts with electricity from the central
electrode to produce “plasma lightning.” The lightning
spirals outward in tendrils of purple, pink, and blue.
Jumping Ring
CURRENT ELECTRICITY
Jumping Ring
Push a button causing electricity to be discharged, repelling a ring atop the device.
Jacob’s Ladder
Voltage passes between two rods in this interactive. Trigger the transformer to increase voltage
between the alternating current to the extent that the air around it becomes ionized. An arc
forms and rises as the surrounding air is heated.
Forces on Conductors
How do flowing currents relate to magnetic fields? Send a
large current at a low voltage through two copper poles,
and watch the poles react by pushing or pulling against each
other, depending on the direction of the current.
Basic Batteries
Become a battery by placing your hands on two of the four
metal plates. Your body becomes the electrolyte connecting
the two electrodes, causing movement in a meter. Then,
experiment between four plates to see which pairs of
electrodes complete the circuit.
Make the Lights Go On
Tangent Galvanometer
Make a simple transformer. When electricity in a coil creates
a changing magnetic field it creates electricity in a second
coil. Lift a coil until the lights turn on. Electricity is being
transferred from the top coil to the bottom one.
ELECTROMAGNETISM
Tangent Galvanometer
This instrument uses the earth’s magnetic polarization to show
the electric flow passing through its coils. See how electricity
can be used to manipulate the direction of a compass needle.
Solenoid
Create a magnetic field by moving a magnetic rod through a
copper spool. This pools enough energy to create a magnetic
field strong enough to hold the heavy rod up.
Reciprocating
Motor
Eddy Current Brake
Turn a crank and create a magnetic field. In the middle is a
moving disc which is the conductor for the field. Then, step on
a pedal. The resulting resistance makes it very difficult for the
disc to rotate in any direction.
Magical Mystery Magnetic Motion
What is causing a magnet to move? A rotating magnet hidden below causes the magnet above
to be set into motion.
APPLICATIONS & USES OF ELECTRICITY
Spark Transmitter
Listen and watch while pressing a telegraph key to observe the sounds and sparks made by the
earliest wireless transmitters.
Reciprocating Motor
Try to get the flywheel turning by cranking the wheel
and using the manual button. Then, connect the motor
to the power supply through the commutator. This
turns the coils on and off at just the right time to keep
the motor running.
How a Telegraph Works
Telegraphs use open and closed circuits to energize
electromagnets in sounders at a receiving end.
Morse Code
Resistance In
Wires
Morse code is an alphabet developed for the telegraph.
Send messages between two machines and experiment
with a telegraph key hooked to a readout of the
resulting messages.
Morse Code
Resistance In Wires
Illuminate three bulbs and observe the difference in brightness due to each filament’s resistance.
Video: How Does Electricity Get Into Your Home?
Learn how electricity travels through the electrical grid to the outlet in your home.
Electrical Safety Dioramas
What happens if you aren’t careful around electricity? Take a lighthearted look at the dangers
of electricity in these interactive dioramas and learn about the dangers that can occur if you
aren’t careful.
TRY THIS!
The “Electricity” exhibit offers several opportunities to learn about static electricity.
For Younger Students
For years children at birthday parties have played with static electricity—whether they realized it or not.
Bring this fun exercise to your classroom with the following simple experiment that is good for all ages.
Supplies:
• Latex balloons (oblong shape is better than round)—one for each two students
To Do:
On a cool, dry day inflate the balloon and tie it closed. Rub it on a rug or sweater. Bring the balloon close
to a student’s hair.
What happens? The hair rises to meet the balloon. Note that fine straight hair is most easily lifted. The
effect may be harder to see with thicker, curlier hair.
By rubbing the balloon, you electrically charged it. The hair rises
toward the balloon because of that charge.
Students can take turns trying this with a partner’s hair and
with the hair on their own forearms.
The electrical charge is also strong enough to hold the balloon
against the wall for a short time. Try it and see how long the balloon
will stay.
TRY THIS!
For Older Students
Older students can “make” lightning following these simple steps. The build-up of static energy is released
suddenly as a “lightning” strike.
Supplies:
• Styrofoam dinner plate
• Disposable aluminum pie pan
(thin enough to puncture with a tack)
• Thumbtack
• New pencil with new eraser
• Wool sock, glove, or piece of fabric
To Do:
Puncture the bottom of the pie pan so that the
tack is sticking up through the center. Attach
the pencil to the tack by pushing into the
eraser, making a “handle” for the pie pan.
Flip the styrofoam plate so that the “bottom”
becomes the top surface. Rub that top surface
hard and fast for a minute—the more energy
you put into it, the better the effect will be. After
a minute, the top surface should be coated with
charged particles.
Set the wool aside and pick up the pie pan by its
pencil handle. Slowly lower it into position atop
the plate’s charged surface.
Now, touch the edge of the pie pan to see how a build-up of static charge can be conducted through metal
and released into you!
To repeat the effect, simply rub the styrofoam plate again to build up more charge.
Note: If you can darken the room, the sparks should be readily visible when they are released from the
charged metal surface.
CURRICULAR STANDARDS
An exploration of the “Electricity” exhibit can help students achieve learning objectives
as called for by national standards.
Next Generation Science Standards
Benchmarks for Science Literacy
4: Energy
MS: Forces and Interactions
MS: Energy
MS: Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation
HS: Forces and Interactions
HS: Energy
HS: Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation
4. The Physical Setting
4g. Forces of Nature
National Science Education Standards
K-4 B: Physical Science
K-4 G: History & Nature of Science
5-8 B: Physical Science
5-8 G: History & Nature of Science
9-12 B: Physical Science
9-12 G: History & Nature of Science
Magical Mystery
Magnetic Motion
Common Core
English Language Arts
K-5: Reading Informational Text
6-12: Literacy in Science & Technical Subjects
Common Core
Mathematics
K-12: Measurement & Data
An Educational Product of
THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE
The Franklin Institute
222 North 20th Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
www.fi.edu