Download Location - The Scotia-Glenville Children`s Museum

Shocking Truth about Electricity and Magnets
During the museum visit, children will observe, explore and investigate the properties of electricity and
magnetism. Through classroom instruction, play acting and 22 hands on activities, children will gain a better
understanding of electricity and magnetism and discover that these two forces, which might seem like completely
different topics, are actually related.
Please allow 90 minutes for the program. We begin the program with a 30 minute introduction. Students will “act
out” the role of electrons in both iron and copper atoms. Children will act out open and closed circuits along with
series and parallel circuits. Children will test out if we are conductors or insulators by creating a human circuit.
The children will then be split up into three groups. Each group will spend 15 minutes at each station. At the first
station students will explore what metals attract to magnets, types of magnets (natural and manmade and
permanent vs. temporary), magnetic fields, magnetic attraction and repulsion. At the second station students will
explore electrical circuits, and open and closed circuits, parallel and series circuits, conductors and insulators and
electromagnets. The third station includes real world applications including Joseph Henry’s Bell ringer, a
telegraph, buzzer, a St. Louis Motor and the introduction of electric induction transforming kinetic energy to
electrical energy using hand crank generators. Children will reassemble at the end of the program for a 10 minute
question and answer period and closing.
The classroom teacher must remain in the room during the program.
PLEASE PROVIDE:
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Three 6-foot tables or student desks set up in 3 groups of 7 or 8. (Tables and desk tops need to be
cleared) If possible, an empty room in the school could be used.
An area large enough for all of the students to form a circle.
Electric outlet
Nametags for the students
30 minutes before & after the program for set up & pack up
Photographs are welcome but please do not videotape Museum programs.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Suggested Pre-visit Activities: Ask the class to think about how they would define/describe a magnet.
Resources
Books:
The Magnet Book by Shar Levine, Leslie Johnstone
Electricity by Steve Parker and Laura Buller,
Electricity and Magnetism by Peter Adamczyk and Paul-Francis Law
Opposites Attract: Magnets by Steve Parker
Websites:
1. This is a great video explaining how we make electricity work for us
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/18618‐electricity‐and‐magnetism‐generating‐electricity‐video.htm
2. Great resource for the basics on how electricity works. http://science.howstuffworks.com/electricity.htm
3. Great website about physics for kids. http://www.physics4kids.com/files/elec_intro.html
4. Fun website with experiments with magnets. http://www.coolmagnetman.com/magindex.htm
5. http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circuits/u9l2b.cfm
MAKING AN ELECTROMAGNET
Materials:
1 (0ne) 6-volt battery, 2 meter length of wire, 1 nail and paper clips
I. Assemble the electromagnet as shown. Wrap 10 turns of wire around the nail.
Leave 23 cm of extra wire at "head" end of nail. There will be a lot of extra wire
at first. Do not cut this extra wire off. As more coils are added to the nail, the
extra wire will be used. Measure the strength of the electromagnet by finding out
how many paper clips the electromagnet will pick up end to end. Where is the
best place on the electromagnet to pick up paper clips?
CAUTION: Do not leave the electromagnet connected for
more than two minutes or the battery will go dead.
II. How can the strength of an electromagnet be increased?
Try this!
Start with the electromagnet that has 10 turns of wire. How many paper clips,
picked up end to end, will the electromagnet lift? Record results on the graph.
Continue testing with 20,30,40,50,60,70,80,90 and 100 turns of wire around
the nail. Connect points recorded to make a line graph. What conclusions
can you make?
Check your electromagnet after each test to see if the nail has become magnetized.
If the electromagnet will pick up paper clips without being connected to a battery,
the nail has become magnetized. To demagnetize the nail, rap it on the floor
several times.
Vocabulary List
Atoms – tiny particles that make up the world around us and are far too small to
see. Atoms are made up of a positively charged nucleus in the middle
surrounded by negatively charged electrons.
Attractive Force – a pull that draws one object to another
Battery – an object that creates an electric force which can make a current flow.
The negative end of a battery repels negative charges, and the positive end
attracts them.
Circuit – a loop through which charges can flow. For charges to flow and make a
current there needs to be a complete loop. This loop is called a closed circuit. A
basic circuit can be made out of a battery, light bulb, and wires. When connected
together in a loop with no gaps, charges are able to flow from the battery,
through the light bulb, and back to the other side of the battery. This lights up
the bulb. If there is a gap, though, the charges will get stuck with nowhere to go.
This is called an open circuit.
Conductor – a material through which electric charges can flow easily
Current – moving electric charges
Electric Charge – a basic property of all matter that gives rise to the electric
force. Everything in the world that we can see and touch is built out of electric
charges. There are two types of charges: positive and negative. In atoms, the
electrons are negative and the protons are positive. Objects that have an electric
charge create and feel the electric force.
Electrons – particles often found around the nucleus (center) of atoms that have
a negative charge
Electric Force – the force that causes electric charges to either attract one (pull
together) another or repel apart (push apart)
Electromagnet – a magnet created by running an electric current through a coil
of wire. The moving charges create a magnetic force. Unlike a permanent
magnet, you can turn this on and off.
Electromagnetism – a subject in science that deals with the electric force,
magnetic force, and how the two are connected.
Energy – the ability to do work. There are many different types of energy, and
they can change into one another. Some examples are light, sound, heat, electric,
and magnetic energy.
Force – a push or a pull. Some examples of forces are wind, gravity, and pushes
from our muscles.
Insulator – a material through which electric charges can barely flow, if at all.
Magnetic Force – a force created and felt by magnets. Magnets have north and
south poles which attract and repel due to this force.
Permanent Magnet – a magnet that retains its magnetism after being removed from a
magnetic field. Like on our refrigerator, these magnets stick around.
Repulsive Force – a push that deters one object from another
Static Electricity – the noticeable electric force when charges are unbalanced.
For instance, if you rub a balloon in your hair, you will notice a force between the
balloon and your hair.
Temporary Magnet – Made by coiling wire around an iron core; when an electrical current
flows in the coil the iron becomes a magnet
Voltage – a measure of the amount of energy each electric charge has
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