In this bite-sized science experiment you will make your own electrical circuit and investigate ways to complete your circuit to allow electricity flow through it! It’s important to be careful when experimenting with electricity so please ask an adult for help before you begin.
What you'll need to make your circuit:
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- 9v battery
- Battery lead*
- Light emitting diode (LED)*
- Length of plastic coated single core wire (~15cm)*
- 2 metal drawing pins
- A cork
- Wire strippers
*You can buy these components cheaply from hardware stores or from electronics suppliers.
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…and to complete the circuit...
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…you need a switch component! Experiment with the following:
Paperclip
Paper Fastener
Safety Pin
Ring pull
Any other small metal household object! |
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Before you get started…
Make sure you have all your materials and a thick mat or newspaper/magazine to work on. Also make sure you have an adult close by to help.
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Step 1
Clean out your can, wiping out all the crumbs. Remember to keep the lid. Ask an adult to make a hole in the centre of the bottom of your can. The hole should be about as wide as a pencil. The easiest way to do this is to gently tap on a large nail with a hammer. |
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Step 2
Gently push one of the drawing pins half way into the long side of the cork, ~1cm from the end. Watch that you don’t prick yourself! Carefully wind one of the metal ends of the wire around the drawing pin and push down onto the cork to secure the wire. Push the second drawing pin half way into the cork, roughly 3cm away, or the length of your switch component. |
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Step 3
If you look closely at the metal legs of your LED, you will see that they are slightly different lengths. Bending the legs outwards, take the shorter leg and twist the metal part of the wire around it securely.
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Step 4
Take the battery snap and clip it into place on the battery terminals. Take the black coloured wire and attach it to the second drawing pin on the cork by winding the metal part of the wire around it. Then secure the wire by pushing the pin further into the cork. |
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Step 5
Taking the red wire of the battery lead, wind the metal part of the wire securely around the longer leg of the LED. |
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Step 6
You need a switch component to complete the circuit, so choose one of the ‘switches’, e.g. a paper clip. Fix one end of your switch by looping it around one drawing pin, or secure it between the cork and pin ensuring good metal contact. Bend the component upwards slightly so that it doesn’t touch the other pin. |
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Step 7
By pressing the other end of your ‘switch’ down on the second drawing pin, you complete your circuit! If you have chosen a switch material that conducts electricity then your LED should light up! |
How does it work?
To harness energy from the battery, the components in the circuit must be connected by something that allows electricity to pass through it- something we call a conductor. In our circuit, the metal wires conduct electricity round the circuit, lighting up our LED.
Fun things to try!
Try making a circuit with a bell or a small motor instead of an LED to see if you can complete a simple circuit and make it work! Or why not try designing your own switch using other materials? Remember the key is that the materials you use must conduct electricity!
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