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Topic
Electric circuits
Background Information
If a flashlight bulb is placed correctly in a complete
circuit so that electricity passes through it, it will light.
In order for current to flow through the bulb it must be
connected to the circuit at two points, the tip contact
(the metal button at the bottom of the bulb) and the
base contact (the metal side of the bulb’s base). To
make the bulb light with the materials above, either
the base contact or the tip contact of the bulb must
touch one terminal of the D-cell. The paper clip or
wire must connect the cell’s other terminal to the
remaining contact. One way to do this is shown in the
illustration.
Key Question
How can you make a bulb light using only a bulb, a
D-cell, and a jumbo paper clip or wire?
Learning Goals
Students will:
1. discover how to make a complete circuit that
lights a bulb using only a D-cell, a bulb, and a
jumbo paper clip; and
2. observe the transformation of chemical energy
into light and/or heat energy.
Guiding Documents
Project 2061 Benchmarks
• Make safe electrical connections with various
plugs, sockets, and terminals.
• Make sketches to aid in explaining procedures or
ideas.
NRC Standards
• Employ simple equipment and tools to gather data
and extend the senses.
• Electrical circuits require a complete loop through
which an electrical current can pass.
This activity exemplifies the conversion of energy.
Of course the ideal conversion is from the chemical
energy that is stored in the D-cell to light energy as the
bulb glows. However, with students’ initial efforts, they
will most likely experience the conversion of chemical energy to heat energy as the wire heats. The hot
wire will certainly startle students, and they should be
told to disconnect the wire. If students leave the wire
connected in such a fashion, they will succeed only in
making the wire hot—too hot to handle—and in draining the battery of its chemical energy.
Science
Physical science
electrical circuits
Integrated Processes
Observing
Comparing and contrasting
Generalizing
Materials
For each group:
plastic bag containing:
D-cell
flashlight
jumbo paper clip
Management
1. Students should be in groups of two.
2. Test bulbs and cells beforehand to be sure they
are working.
3. The cells, bulbs, and paper clips should be put into
bags ahead of time. Each group receives one bag.
For each student:
student page
ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS
40
© 2005 AIMS Education Foundation
Connecting Learning
1. How many ways can we light the bulb with these
materials?
2. What other materials could we use instead of the
paper clip? [wire, aluminum foil, etc.]
3. Do you think the bulb will light with a different
size cell? Explain.
4. What did you learn from doing this activity?
5. How many places on the cell did you have to connect? Where were they? [two, the top of the cell
and the bottom]
6. How many places on the bulb did you have to
connect? Where were they? [two, the side on the
metal band of the bulb and the very bottom tip of
the bulb]
7. What does making a complete circuit mean? How
was your method of lighting the bulb a complete
circuit?
8. What forms of energy did you observe? [chemical,
light, and heat]
9. What are you wondering now?
Procedure
1. Distribute a plastic bag and activity sheets to each
group.
2. Challenge the students to make the bulb light using
only the materials in the bag. Caution the students to
release the paper clip if it gets hot.
3. After students have made the bulb light, challenge
them to find another way to light the bulb using the
same materials.
4. Make sure that no students leave the paper clip
attached to both terminals of the cell.
5. Have students draw pictures showing two ways
they lit their bulbs.
6. Discuss the results.
ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS
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© 2005 AIMS Education Foundation
Key Question
How can you make a bulb
light using only a bulb, a
D-cell, and a jumbo paper
clip?
Learning Goals
1. discover how to make a complete
circuit that lights a bulb using
only a D-cell, a bulb, and a
jumbo paper clip; and
2. observe the transformation of chemical
energy into light
and/or heat energy.
ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS
42
© 2005 AIMS Education Foundation
Draw pictures that show two ways you lit the bulb.
ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS
43
© 2005 AIMS Education Foundation
Connecting Learning
1.
How many ways can we light the
bulb with these materials?
2.
What other materials could we use
instead of the paper clip?
3.
Do you think the bulb will light with a different
size cell? Explain.
4.
What did you learn from doing this activity?
5.
How many places on the cell did you have to
connect? Where were they?
6.
How many places on the bulb did you have to
connect? Where were they?
7.
What does making a complete circuit mean?
How was your method of lighting the bulb a
complete circuit?
8.
What forms of energy did you observe?
9.
What are you wondering now?
ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS
44
© 2005 AIMS Education Foundation