Squishy Circuits, Voltaic Piles, Lemon
Batteries, and understanding Circuits
Agenda
 Squishy Circuits
 Voltaic Cells “Penny Battery”
 Lemon Batteries
 EKI Circuit Kits
Squishy Circuits
Classroom Guide,
http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/apthomas/SquishyCircuits/PDFs/Squishy%20Circuits%20Classroom%20Guide.pdf
Additional Activities with Clay
 Resistance Measurements on Play-Doh, Brian Jones CSU,
http://vip.vast.org/WORKSHEE/PLAYDOH/HOME.HTM
 Nature of Resistance(Activity #4), Jim Overhiser and Julie Nucci
(http://www.cns.cornell.edu/cipt/labs/2010%20labs%20without%20answers/Natur
e%20of%20Resistance.no%20answers.pdf)
 Circuits and Resistivity, Rice University,
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~phys102/Lab/DC_circuits.pdf
Batteries-Voltaic Piles
A voltaic pile, the first battery, was invented about
1800 by Alessandro Volta used the interactions
of dissimilar to generate an electrical. Volta’s
original voltaic pile used zinc and silver disks and a
separator consisting of a porous non-conducting
material saturated with sea water (salt water).
Over the next 60 years, different combinations of
metals and electrolytes were used to make
variations of the voltaic pile and were the only
practical source of electricity during that time.
Voltaic cells, Penny activities
 Batteries, (Activity #1)- David A. Katz,
http://www.chymist.com/batteries.pdf
 Penny Battery- Julie Yu Exploratorium,
http://www.exo.net/~jyu/activities/penny%20battery.pdf
 Penny Battery Video- Science Online,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edMN7P5oCaY
Batteries- Lemon Cells
 Batteries, (Activity #3)- David A. Katz,
http://www.chymist.com/batteries.pdf
 Lemon Battery- hilaroad,
http://hilaroad.com/camp/projects/lemon/lemon_battery.html
 Lemon Battery video- Science Online,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=CA&hl=en&v=AY9qcDCFeVI
EKI Electronic Kits
 The Mr. Circuit I - Discover Electronics Lab is
recognized around the world as one of the very best
tools for teaching basic electronics in the
classroom. This is because it is hands-on, self paced
and easy to use - for both teachers and students. This
lab includes 33 lessons and experiments for learning
the basic theory of electronics, the major components
used in electronics, and fun and exciting projects that
the students build on solderless circuit boards and
power with a nine volt battery. There is no soldering
required for this lab.
Additional information for Mr. Circuit
Read pages 7-9. Take notes, don’t put anything together.
2. Copy Color code chart on page 8 into your notes.
3. Take kit out of boxes do inventory.
4. Does the part have polarity? Examples- IC, LED, Capacitors, …
5. Don’t connect 9 V battery until everything is assembled.
6. Labs- know purpose, schematic, and definitions. (More is Better!) Make
sure you look for new schematics in each lab.
7. Don’t do unauthorized labs!!
8. Do labs in order, everyone takes part.
9. If parts are broken or missing, you may have to pay to replace them.
10. If it doesn’t work, unhook the 9V, and check it again before you ask me to
help.
1.
Thank you