Download Think of your parents` car. Many things are run off electricity

Electrical Energy
TRAVELING ENGINEERING ACTIVITY KITS
T.E.A.K.
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Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
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Preparation Guide- Electrical Energy Kit
Overview
This kit contains activities for the students to gain a better understanding about electrical
energy, and its use and effects on our lives today. It further explains how electrical energy is
used in both batteries and capacitors and the difference between the two. Main concepts of
electrical energy include transfer of electrons through a circuit, energy storage, and practical
use.
Main Concepts
 What is energy?
 Atoms and matter
 Electron flow
 Circuits
 Voltage and current
 Capacitors
Activity Descriptions
Conductor and Insulator Word Sort - 5 minutes
This activity allows the students to differentiate conductors and insulators, while acknowledging
similarities and differences.
Circuit Building Activity- 30 minutes
This activity allows the students to recreate several different types of circuits and analyze the
effects of the circuit structure on voltage and current.
Capacitor Activity- 30 minutes
Using several different capacitor sizes the students are asked to determine the effects of an
LED on a capacitor. The discharge time for each capacitor bundle is then used to demonstrate
how capacitors use up the energy that has been stored inside of them.
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Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
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Resources
New York State Standards
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/pub/mststa4.pdf
http://stateaid.nysed.gov/scripts/sa/pi_find.idc
Circuit Symbols and Circuit Diagrams
http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/Class/circuits/u9l4a.html
Introduction to DC Circuits
http://www.play-hookey.com/dc_theory/
An Introduction to Capacitors
http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/mastascu/eLessonsHTML/LC/Capac1.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/capacitor1.htm
Note: Many of these resources were used in assisting the creation of the following
Lesson Plan and we want to thank and reference them for their valuable instruction.
Trouble Shooting Guide
Replacement of Parts
Many circuit components will wear over time, which may lead to failures. Specific
problems may include: battery packs shorting, plastic melting, LEDs no longer working
due to excess current being applied, inability of capacitors to hold electricity due to
incorrect charging, and so on. If any of these occur, replacement parts may be found
in the plastic bag.
Use of Multi-meters
For proper operation check sure of the following:
 Leads are plugged in to the correct ports
 The knob is turned to “DCV 20”
 The pointed ends are being pressed onto a positive and negative end
 A 9-volt battery (inside the multimeter) may need to be replaced
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Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan – Electrical Energy TEAK
Part 1 (Approximately 1 hour)
Concepts covered:
What is electricity?
Atoms and Matter
Electron Flow
Circuits
Voltage and Current
NYS Learning Standards:
933
934
938
939
MST
1
E
Scientific Inquiry
Interpret organized observations and measurements, recognizing simple patterns, sequences,
and relationships
940
944
946
MST
1
E
Engineering
Design
Discuss how best to test the solution; perform the test under teacher supervision; record and
portray results through numerical and graphic means; discuss orally why things worked or
did not work; and summarize results in writing, suggesting ways to make the solution better
NYS Science Standards:
Standard 4: Energy exists in many forms, and when these forms change energy is conserved.
Students:
• Describe the sources and identify the transformations of energy observed in
everyday life.
• Describe situations that support the principle of conservation of energy.
This is evident, for example, when students:
-Design and construct devices to transform/transfer energy.
- Build an electromagnet and investigate the effects of using different
types of core materials, varying thicknesses of wire, and different circuit
types
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Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
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Electricity: Group discussion
(Pose the following questions to the group and let discussion flow naturally… try
to give positive feedback to each child that contributes to the conversation)
What do you have at home or school that runs on electricity?
 Toaster
 Microwave
 New Ovens with coils
 Computers
Just to name a few…
Where does that electrical energy come from?
 Power plants (coal, nuclear)
 Batteries
 Portable generators
Do you know about alternative ways of producing electricity that are being
developed today?
 Solar
 Hydro
 Wind
 Fuel Cell
 Geo-thermal
What kind of job do you think a person would have if they develop new ways of
producing energy?
(Engineers and scientists!)
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Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
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Electrical Circuit
(Draw this circuit on the board to explain positive and negative connections and how
they complete a circuit. Also explain the terms following the diagrams using the
diagrams when necessary. Continue with discussion)
Series Circuit
Parallel Circuit
Terms
 Electron: the negatively charged particle of an atom that is free to move around
 Electricity: the form of energy created by movement of electrons
 Conductor: a material that allows electricity to move through it easily
 Insulator: a material that does not allow electricity to pass through it easily
 Source: something that provides the circuit with power i.e. batteries
 Resistor: something that uses up the energy i.e. light bulbs
 Voltage: the amount of energy that can be produced
o Example: the amount of water flowing
 Current: The flow of electrons
o Example: how fast the water is flowing
 Series: In order for the light bulbs to be in series, they have to be connected so
the current only has one way to go. This makes the current the same through
each light bulb.
 Parallel: In order for the light bulbs or resistors to be in parallel, the positive sides
need to be connected together and the negative sides need to be connected
together. This makes the voltage across each resistor the same.
How do you know if your circuit is closed?
The circuit is closed if current is flowing through all of the components. Think of
Christmas lights. If one bulb goes out the circuit is no longer closed and the entire
string goes out, but if all of the bulbs are on and working properly then current is flowing
through the circuit. New style light bulbs have what is called a third strand cord so that it
is always a closed circuit and will still light up even if one bulb goes out. Third strand
cords have three wires instead of two in which the third wire connects all lights to keep
the circuit flowing.
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Current Flow
Everything on the planet wants to be in balance. Because there is a positive side
to the source and a negative side, the electrons from the negative end of the source
want to go to the positive end of the source.
Do you think we can build a circuit with string, pencils and some gum?
Note that an electrical circuit can only be made with objects or materials that
electrical current can flow through. Today we will investigate what objects may or may
not be used in a circuit.
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Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
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Mini Group Activity
(allow groups to sort the given words into two groups to differentiate conductors vs.
insulators)
Conductors:
 Silver
 Copper
 Gold
 Aluminum
 Iron
 Steel
 Brass
 Bronze
 Mercury
Insulators:
 Glass
 Rubber
 Asphalt
 Porcelain
 Ceramic
 Quartz
 Plastic
 Air
 Diamond
Follow up discussion:
Do you see something common about all the conductors?
- They are all metals
End of Mini Group Activity
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Circuit Activity
Objectives
 Build and understand a basic circuit.
 Use a multimeter to measure voltage.
Materials
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1 Circuit Board
Alligator Clips
1 Multimeter
3 Light bulbs
Safety Precautions
 Make sure ALL light bulbs are in place before students start constructing circuits.
Procedure
1. Explain the kits before handing them out:
 On the circuit board, the red wire is the positive end of the battery and the black
wire is the negative end of the battery.
 The alligator clips are all the same connecting wire; however the color can be
used to organize positive and negative connections.
 Explain to the students that connecting the two ends of the battery directly will
cause the circuit boards to short circuit (fail).
2. Now, hand out the kits. Instruct the students to take out only the circuit board, three
light bulbs, and the alligator clips. Put everything else back in the box and place it
on the floor.
3. Make sure that the students have ALL the light bulbs in place before they start
connecting the battery.
4. Pass out the activity handout.
5. Instruct each of the groups to follow the instructions on the handout.
6. When they have finished, discuss their results with them.
Expected Results
The students should observe that the current is lowered as more light bulbs are
added to the circuit.
End of Circuit Activity
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Measuring Circuit Information Handout
Note:
The red lead is positive.
The black lead is negative.
To measure voltage:
1. Place the black lead in the bottom hole and the red lead in the middle hole.
2. Set the knob to 20DCV. This is a measure of voltage (V).
3. For voltage measurements, the leads can be placed across the circuit element in
parallel.
To measure current:
1. Place the black lead in the bottom hole and the red lead in the top hole.
2. Set 20m DCA as shown. This is a measurement in milliamps (mA).
3. Insert both leads into the circuit in series before the element that you want to
measure.
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Circuit Activity Handout
Before using any alligator clips, put ALL three light bulbs in place
Series Circuit
1. Construct a closed series circuit as shown in Circuit A.
**note: the red wire is the positive end of the battery and the black wire is the
negative end of the battery
Circuit A
Circuit B
Circuit C
2. Measure and record the voltage across light bulb 1 by placing the tips of each
lead from the multimeter on the wing nuts on either side of the light bulb.
3. Construct a closed series circuit as shown in Circuit B.
4. Measure and record the voltage across light bulb 1 and then light bulb 2.
5. Construct a closed series circuit as shown in Circuit C.
6. Measure and record the voltage across light bulb 1, light bulb 2 then light bulb 3.
Voltage (V)
Circuit A
Light Bulb 1
Light Bulb 2
Light Bulb 3
Circuit B
Circuit C
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Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
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Parallel Circuit
1. Construct a closed parallel circuit as shown in Circuit X.
Circuit X
Circuit Y
Circuit Z
2. Measure and record the current across light bulb 1 by placing the tips of each
lead from the multimeter on the positive wing nut of the light bulb.
3. Construct a closed parallel circuit as shown in Circuit Y.
4. Measure and record the current across light bulb 1 and then light bulb 2.
5. Construct a closed parallel circuit as shown in Circuit Z.
6. Measure and record the current across light bulb 1, light bulb 2, then light bulb 3.
Current (A)
Circuit X
Circuit Y
Circuit Z
Light Bulb 1
Light Bulb 2
Light Bulb 3
** If you have extra time, measure the voltage across each light bulb in circuit Z and
make an observation **
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Concluding Discussion
(pick and choose depending on student questions/ responses to activity)
What did you notice about the voltage in the series circuits? What about the
brightness of the bulbs?
What did you notice about the current in the parallel circuits? What about the
brightness of the bulbs?
How did the brightness of the bulbs in the series setup compare to the brightness
of the bulbs in the parallel setup?
Why would you want to use a circuit with the components in series/parallel?
In parallel all of the components have the same voltage.
In series all of the components have the same current.
Did anyone know something was wrong at any given point? What did you
change? How did you know to change that?
What kind of materials in your home could you use to create another electrical
circuit?
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Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan – Electrical Energy TEAK
Part 2 (Approximately 1 hour)
Concepts covered:
Capacitors
Efficiency
Cost of Electrical Energy
NYS Science Standards:
Standard 4: Energy exists in many forms, and when these forms change energy is conserved.
Students:
• Describe the sources and identify the transformations of energy observed in
everyday life.
• Describe situations that support the principle of conservation of energy.
This is evident, for example, when students:
-Design and construct devices to transform/transfer energy.
- Build an electromagnet and investigate the effects of using different
types of core materials, varying thicknesses of wire, and different circuit
types
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Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
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Capacitors: Group discussion
(Pose the following questions to the group and let discussion flow naturally…
give positive feedback to each child that contributes to the conversation)
How does a battery work?
A battery uses a chemical reaction to generate electrical energy. However
because a battery creates power through a chemical process the speed at which it
creates energy is limited.
How can power be stored?
Power can be stored either in a rechargeable battery or in a capacitor.
Terms
Capacitor: part of a circuit used to store charge (electrons) for a small amount of
time, usually made of two metal plates separated by insulating
material.
A capacitor is a little bit like a battery. Capacitors and batteries both store energy
Here are a few differences between batteries and capacitors:
Batteries:
 Makes electrical energy.
 Gives off a small amount of electrical energy at a slow, constant rate.
 Not always rechargeable
Capacitors:
 Stores electrical energy.
 Gives off large amount of electrical energy quickly.
 Can be charged and discharged over and over.
o Think about when you scuff your feet on the floor. This builds up
a charge and when you touch a doorknob the charge releases
quickly. You can do this over and over.
In an electronic circuit diagram, a capacitor is shown like this:
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When you connect a capacitor to a battery, here's what happens:





The capacitor end that is attached to the negative terminal of the battery accepts
electrons.
The capacitor end that is attached to the positive battery terminal loses electrons to
the battery.
Because one side of the capacitor now has more than the other there is a
difference. This difference is called voltage.
Think of the capacitor as a dam. And the battery as a river. More and more water
builds up on one side, and on the other side there is no more water. The dam can
only hold as much water as the river has. And once the dam is open the water flows
through on its own.
Once charged the capacitor has the same voltage as the power source that was
charging it.
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Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
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Capacitor Activity
Objectives
 Understand the difference between capacitors and batteries.
 Practice making circuits.
 Learn about another common item in circuits, besides batteries and light bulbs.
Materials





1 Circuit Board
Alligator Clips
3 Capacitor Bundles
1 Resistor
1 clear LED light
Procedure
1. Instruct the students to take out only the circuit board, capacitors, resistor, LED light, and
the alligator clips. Put everything else back in the box and place it on the floor.
2. Pass out the activity handout.
3. Instruct each of the groups to follow the instructions on the handout.
4. When they have finished, discuss their results with them.
Expected Results
The students should observe that the larger the capacitor bundles are, the longer the
LED light will stay lit.
End of Capacitor Activity
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Capacitor Handout
To charge the capacitor:
1. Using alligator clips connect the battery to the capacitor, creating a complete circuit. The
red side of the capacitor (positive) should match the red side of the battery. Keep the circuit
connected for at least 20 seconds to fully charge your capacitor. Disconnect from battery.
To use the capacitor:
1. Using alligator clips, connect the positive side of the capacitor (red) to one end of the
resistor (needed to regulate the power from the capacitor so the light doesn’t burn out).
2. Connect the negative side of the capacitor (black) to the red wire of the LED.
3. Have one member of your group cup their hands around the light and prepare to count out
loud how many seconds it stays lit up.
4. Have another group member connect the other end of the light to the other end of the
resistor. The completed circuit will look kind of like this:
5. Recharge the capacitor and try it again. Make sure you write down the times!
6. Now, repeat steps 1-5 with the two other capacitor bundles.
Bundles:
Dark Blue Capacitor
Dark Blue with 2 Light Blue Capacitors
3 Dark Blue Capacitors
Trial #1
Trial #2
Average
(#1 + #2) ÷ 2
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Concluding Discussion
(Pick and choose depending on student questions/responses to activity)


capacitors: For larger power/short duration applications
Batteries: For slow consistent discharge
Think of your parents’ car. Many things are run off electricity in a car. If you
thought about the turn signals versus the head lights, which one would you need
a capacitor for?
Can you think of anything that would use a capacitor?

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Surround Sound Speaker connections
Turn on/off switches
Flashes on cameras
Computers (storing information)
Defibrillator – the machine doctors use to stimulate a stopped heart