LAB # 7: GET CONNECTED

Grade 5 Essential Lab (Student’s version)

name______date______

ACTIVITY # 1:

Materials:

  • flashlight battery (1.5 volts D cell)
  • flashlight bulb
  • insulated wire
  • masking tape

Drawing #1 Drawing #2

Explore/ Procedures:

  1. Get one D battery, a bulb, one wire, and two small pieces of masking tape.
  2. Tape one end of your wire to the negative (flat end) end of the battery. Be sure that the metal part of the wire is firmly attached to the battery.
  3. Place the base of the bulb on the positive end (with the little bump) of the battery.
  4. While holding the bulb in place, touch the unattached end of the wire to the side of the bulb base. If your bulb lights, you have made a complete electric circuit. If the bulb does not light, check to be sure the wire is taped securely to the negative end of the battery. You could even hold it tightly to the battery to be sure it is making good contact.
  5. Get a second piece of wire.
  6. Make a complete circuit again this time using 2 wires instead of one, 1 battery, and one flashlight bulb. (Hint: You do not need to touch the bulb directly to the battery.)
  7. Connect the parts to test your ideas. Does the bulb light up? If not keep trying.

Think about this …

Write your responses in your journal/notebook:

  1. Is electricity flowing through the systems you built? How do you know?
  2. What do you think are necessary elements of all complete circuits?
  3. How do you think a battery works?
  4. What kind of energy makes a battery work?
  5. Name the transfers of energy in the circuit you built.
  6. How is either of the circuit models you built similar to a flashlight’s circuit?

This activity is adapted from (Science for Kids).

name______date______

ACTIVITY #2

Materials per Group:

  • flashlight battery (1.5 volts D cell)
  • flashlight bulb
  • 3 pieces of insulated wire
  • battery holder
  • bulb holder
  • nail
  • penny
  • spoon
  • paper clip
  • eraser
  • pencil
  • aluminum foil

Essential Question:

What other common materials are good conductors for the flow of electricity?

Procedures:

  1. Make a plan to create a circuit using 1 battery, 1 battery holder, 3 wire pieces, a bulb, and bulb holder to make a path to test the flow of electricity.
  2. Connect the parts to test your plan. Does the bulb light up? If not keep trying.
  3. Draw a picture of your working circuit. Show how the parts work.
  1. What material allowed the electricity to pass through the circuit? ______
  2. Take an object out of the bag. Predict whether it will conduct enough electricity to light the bulb. Test the object by placing it between the bare ends of two wires so that it touches both wires and forms a closed circuit. Record observations on the data table.
  3. Test the remainder of the items in the bag. Record observations on the data table.

Data (Table/Log and Observations)

Object / Prediction / Conductor or Insulator
Penny
Pencil/ (wood part)
Pencil/ (metal part)
Eraser
paper clip
Nail
Plastic spoon

Explain/Evaluate:

  1. Were your predictions correct? How do you know?

_____

  1. Which material created the brightest bulb?
  1. How are the materials that conducted electricity allowing the bulb to light alike?

______

Homelearning:

Look for examples of conductors and insulators in your home. Then make a list of in your science journal/notebook.

CONDUCTORS / INSULATORS