Homeschool Science and Electricity
A Fun and Inexpensive Hands-On Project for Homeschooled Students
If you're looking for an easy science activity to do with your homeschooler--one that just might surprise your both--check out the project described below.
Most people know that copper wire is a conductor of electricity, but did you know that aluminum works well too?
It’s true. You can fold ordinary aluminum foil into a strip. Connect this strip to a battery and a flashlight bulb for a quick, safe demonstration with impact.
Making A Circuit for Your Light
What You Will Need:
- 1 D battery
- 1 flashlight bulb (This can be temporarily removed from a flashlight you already have. Some dollar store flashlights have the bulb built into the reflector part of the flashlight. These are even easier to use.)
- 1 - 3 inch wide piece of aluminum foil the length of the box.
- Tape (optional)
Directions:
- Fold the aluminum foil in half lengthwise. Fold in in half again. Smooth the folds. Repeat until you have a ribbon of foil about ¼ inch wide. You will use this as your wire.
- Set the negative (flatter) end of the battery on one end of your foil ribbon. You can tape it in place if you’d like, but it isn’t necessary.
- Hold the light bulb on top of the positive end of the battery.
- Touch the remaining end of your foil ribbon to the metal base of your bulb.
Voila! The bulb should light. By the way, the foil ribbon is safe to touch, so this activity is perfect for children.
If you’d like to make your light brighter, use two batteries. Just make sure to place them so that the positive end of one battery touches the negative end of the other. You can wrap tape around the two batteries where they join together to make them easier to handle if you wish.
Building a Flashlight
If you’d like to experiment further, try building your own flashlight using the cardboard from inside a roll of paper towels and a juice bottle cap that wedges tightly into the end of the cardboard roll. Tape your foil ribbon to the cap. (Don’t worry, if you have new batteries, you should still get a good connection through the tape, but if not, you can adjust the tape so that it doesn’t interfere with the connection.)
Thread the ribbon through the paper towel roll and wedge the cap into the bottom of the cardboard roll. Use scissors to cut the roll to the proper size. (If you have younger children, make sure you do this part for them.) Insert one or more batteries and attach the bulb. Just make sure the foil strip comes into contact with the metal on the bulb and you should get a connection that lights up.
If you want to make your light more portable, tape both ends in place.
Adding hands-on lessons to your homeschool science curriculum can make learning fun. Fortunately, many science activities like this one can be done on a shoestring budget and without a lot of preparation. Now that’s a near perfect combination!
