Students study of how much electricity is used in their home and the actual cost for the electricity. They create a realistic conservation plan for their home focusing on the areas that tend to use a great deal of electricity....

After building a simple electric motor from a kit, with this experiment you can explore how voltage affects motor speed. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction,...

A simple science fair project to test whether electricity can flow between two things. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction, followed by a section on terms,...

Build your own windmill and see how the wind can be converted into energy to produce electricity. This science fair project should help you understand the use of wind as a source of alternative energy. The Science Buddies project ideas...

In this science fair project, use a calorimeter with an attached heating element to measure how water responds to added thermal energy.

Objects that glow in the dark hold a special place in the imagination of both children and adults. The lights go out at night, but these odd things refuse to disappear. Where does the light come from? Do they work in any climate? In this...

Piezoelectric barbecue fire starters work by creating a spark that ignites the volatile lighter fluid, which then starts the charcoal burning. They are low current, high voltage devices. This project shows you a way to find out by with...

Students learn about static electricity using terms such as friction, induction, and conduction. They also explain and illustrate the difference between alternating and direct current, and understand the relationship among voltage,...

Explains the design of circuits that can be used to multiply and rectify AC voltages, e.g., to increase voltage in order to light an LED more effectively and get a brighter light from it.

Take a look inside a battery and change the voltage to see what goes on inside. Read the voltmeter as little stick people move the charges from one end of the battery to the other.

Build an intuitive understanding of current and voltage, and power.

This article explains what voltage and amperage are and the effect batteries have on them in an electrical circuit.

Kid's learn more about the science of electricity. How its measured and generated.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Defines electric current and relates electric current to different materials (insulators and conductors).

Apart from the piezo generator, all of these generators are based on the same simple design, where magnets are rotated near to coils of wire (Faraday Induction). There is no coil switching so these are AC generators. On magnet movement,...

Instructions for how to make an electrical thermometer. The electrical thermometer works like this - the design consists of four resistors each made from about 40 meters of very thin copper wire. The electrical resistance of wire changes...

Simple homemade batteries are described that can be made from items found in the home or school lab. These experiments help students understand how to wire them up, the origin of current, voltage and power, as well as the chemistry that...

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Explains what electric current and voltage are and why electric current occurs.

Provides a long list of physics formulas for easy reference.

Explains the design of two circuits that can flash an LED from a single 1.5V battery. A typical LED needs 2-3V to work properly and both these circuits include a voltage doubler to boost the voltage to drive the LED. Both circuits will...

Piezoelectricity is an electrical effect that occurs when mechanical stress is applied to certain materials, e.g., quartz crystals, Rochelle salts, and barium titanate. The sound of a wrist watch alarm or a smoke detector is made by a...

Lord Kelvin (William Thomson) developed electrostatic theory and a range of novel and interesting electrostatic apparatuses. Described here is a reconstruction of a water dropper electrostatic generator. It's capable of generating...

Explains what an LCR meter is and how it is used to measure the inductance, capacitance, and resistance of a circuit. Lists the different parameters of a circuit that it measures, describes two types of LCR meters, and gives definitions...

In this unit students discover the meaning and some applications of electric potential, commonly known as voltage, and how it powers some simple circuits.