1. “Exploring Electricity”
Squishy Circuits, Voltaic Piles, Lemon Batteries, and understanding Circuits

2. Agenda Squishy Circuits Voltaic Cells “Penny Battery” Lemon Batteries
EKI Circuit Kits

3. Squishy Circuits
Classroom Guide,

4. Additional Activities with Clay
Resistance Measurements on Play-Doh, Brian Jones CSU,
Nature of Resistance(Activity #4), Jim Overhiser and Julie Nucci (
Circuits and Resistivity, Rice University,

5. 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.

6. Voltaic cells, Penny activities
Batteries, (Activity #1)- David A. Katz,
Penny Battery- Julie Yu Exploratorium,
Penny Battery Video- Science Online,

7. Batteries- Lemon Cells
Batteries, (Activity #3)- David A. Katz,
Lemon Battery- hilaroad,
Lemon Battery video- Science Online,

8. 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.

9. Additional information for Mr. Circuit
Read pages Take notes, don’t put anything together.
Copy Color code chart on page 8 into your notes.
Take kit out of boxes do inventory.
Does the part have polarity? Examples- IC, LED, Capacitors, …
Don’t connect 9 V battery until everything is assembled.
Labs- know purpose, schematic, and definitions. (More is Better!) Make sure you look for new schematics in each lab.
Don’t do unauthorized labs!!
Do labs in order, everyone takes part.
If parts are broken or missing, you may have to pay to replace them.
If it doesn’t work, unhook the 9V, and check it again before you ask me to help.

10. Thank you