| Objective | | | | - a light bulb (6V) with wires attached |
| This is one of those science fair experiments in which | | | | - an insulating surface such as a chopping board that is |
| you will be testing different materials to find out which | | | | flat |
| ones conduct electricity well. | | | | Procedure |
| Introduction | | | | |
| Electricity was known to exist since times when | | | | 1. Create the circuit for testing the materials. |
| amber and fur was rubbed together by the ancient | | | | 2. Connect either terminals of the battery with wires. |
| Greeks, resulting in the production of static electricity. | | | | One end of the wire which is black should be attached |
| The first remarkable achievement in this field was by | | | | to the (-) terminal and the free end to should be |
| Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist, who developed | | | | connected to the bulb lead. |
| the first circuit in 1800. He also showed that a circuit | | | | 3. One end of the red colored wire should be attached |
| must be closed, or complete, in order for electricity to | | | | to the (+) terminal and the free end should be left as it |
| flow through it. Science fair experiments can be | | | | is for various materials to be attached. |
| conducted using circuits that demonstrate this principle. | | | | 4. Attach the second lead of the bulb to one end of |
| Volta's student, Georg Simon Ohm, made the next | | | | the yellow colored wire and leave the free end as it is |
| discovery in 1826. He observed that some materials | | | | for various materials to be attached to it. |
| did not allow electricity to pass through freely. In other | | | | 5. Now, the red colored and the yellow colored wire |
| words, they resisted the flowing of electricity through | | | | will be having one free end each. This is where the |
| them. This resistance of a circuit is measured by a unit | | | | testing materials will be connected. |
| called ohms and is abbreviated by the Greek letter | | | | 6. In science fair experiments, data is always recorded. |
| omega (?). | | | | So draw a table with three columns to write the |
| Some materials allow electricity to move through them | | | | material type, the material source and the bulb |
| whereas others do not allow it to move so well. Those | | | | brightness. |
| materials which allow electricity to move through them | | | | 7. Now connect the first piece of material to the circuit. |
| are known as conductive materials. Those materials | | | | 8. Write down if the bulb lights up and how bright it is. |
| that resist the passage of electricity through them are | | | | Continue for all other materials. |
| called insulators. The resistance of conductive material | | | | 9. You can attach an Ohm meter and write down the |
| is low whereas the resistance of insulators is high. In | | | | readings in the table. |
| science fair experiments, we can use copper wire as | | | | 10. Now make another table with three columns to |
| a conductor and plastic coating as an insulator. | | | | write the names of conductors, poor conductors and |
| In this experiment different materials will be tested by | | | | insulators. |
| you, to see whether they are insulators or conductors. | | | | Note that when the bulb is bright, the material has high |
| You will figure out the same by attaching different | | | | conductivity and low resistance, and should be written |
| materials to the circuit and making a note of how bright | | | | in the conductor column. When the bulb is dim, the |
| or dim the bulb is. You will be creating your own light | | | | material has low conductivity and goes in the poor |
| bulb circuit for this purpose. | | | | conductor column. When the bulb does not light up, |
| Materials | | | | there is no conductivity and high resistance, and the |
| - paper clips, string, plastic, aluminum foil, rubber bands, | | | | material should be written in the insulator column. Now |
| etc... | | | | that you are excited about going ahead with this |
| - a battery (6V) | | | | experiment, your next step would be to download a |
| - 3 pieces of wire leads having alligator clips attached | | | | free copy of "Easy Steps to Award-Winning Science |
| to both ends | | | | Fair Projects" from the link below right now. |