Some objects you could test are a paper clip, a pair of scissors (try the blades and the handles separately), a glass, a plastic dish, a wooden block, your favorite toy, or anything else you can think of. Connect the ends of the free wires to an object and see what happens.
For each object, guess whether you think each object will complete the circuit and light up the light bulb or not.ģ. It is is an insulator, it will not light. If the object is a conductor, the light bulb will light up. Next you will test objects to see if they are conductors or insulators. You have made an open circuit and the bulb should not light up. You should have two wires with free ends (between the light bulb and the battery pack).Ģ. Connect one end of the new wire to the battery. Disconnect one of the wires from the battery pack.
Extra alligator clip wire (or aluminum foil wire*).You can find out which things around your house are conductors and which are insulators using the circuit you made in the last project to test them! What You Need: Materials that stop electricity from flowing are called insulators. Materials that electricity can flow through are call conductors. The paper clip across the bottom of the battery pack allowed electricity to flow between the batteries, making the flow of electrons stronger.ĭo you see how closed and open circuits work to allow or stop electricity from flowing? Insulator or Conductor? That should have made the light bulb burn more brightly, because two batteries together can supply more electricity than just one! In the second part, you added another battery. Along its way, it will carry electrons to electrical objects that are connected to it – like the light bulb – and make them work! When a circuit is complete, or closed, electrons can flow from one end of a battery all the way around, through the wires, to the other end of the battery. Electricity is caused by tiny particles with negative charges, called electrons. In order for electricity to start flowing, you need a closed circuit. What you built with the battery, wire, and bulb in step 3 is called an open circuit. Why didn’t the light bulb light up when you connected it to one end of the battery with a wire?Įlectricity from a battery has to flow out one end (the negative or “-” end) and back in through the positive (“+”) end in order to work. When they’re connected properly, they can “power” things, like a flashlight, an alarm clock, a radio… even a robot! In the first part, you learned how to make a circuit with a battery to light up a light bulb.īatteries supply electricity. (Note: Instead of steps 1-3, you can use two batteries in battery holders and connect them together with one wire.) What Happened: Connect the free ends of the wires to the light bulb. (The bottom of the battery pack should only have one paper clip – do not connect a wire to it.)Ĥ. Now you can connect one wire to each paper clip. Turn the batteries over and tape one end of a paper clip onto each of the batteries. Tape the paperclip in place with a narrow piece of tape (do not tape over the metal battery ends).ģ. Set a paperclip across the batteries so that it connects the “+” end of one to the “-” end of the other. Tape around the middle of the batteries to hold them together.Ģ. Stand one battery so that the “+” end is pointing up, then set the other battery next to it so that the flat “-” end is pointing up.
Disconnect the battery from your circuit. Attach the free end of the other wire to the positive (“+”) end of the battery. Connect the free end of one wire to the negative (“-“) end of one battery.
(If you’re using foil, ask an adult to help you unscrew each screw enough to fit a foil strip under it.)Ģ. Connect one end of each wire to the screws on the base of the light bulb holder. Then connect your wires to the paper clips.ġ. **To use paper clips instead of battery holders, tape one end of a paper clip to each end of your battery using thin strips of tape. Fold each one tightly along the long edge to make a thin strip.) *To use foil instead of wires, cut 2 strips each 6″ long and 3″ wide.