Context > Super Sense > Teaching and Learning Approaches > Testing for conductivity

STUDENT ACTIVITY: Testing for conductivity

Activity idea In this activity, students construct simple electrical circuits and test a variety of materials to identify those that are good conductors and those that do not conduct electricity. By the end of this activity, students should be able to: construct simple electrical circuits to test the conductivity of liquids and solids predict if a material is a good conductor and test their hypothesis rank/group materials according to their conductivity.

Introduction/background notes What you need What to do Discussion questions onducting e!periments Introduction/background "lectric charges #ill not flo# unless there is a complete closed path. $he route along #hich electric charges flo# is called an electrical circuit. % conductor is a material that #ill let electric charges flo# through it. &ome materials allo# electricity to travel through them more easily 'such as copper( and are considered good conductors. !at you need )or each group of students: opies of student instructions onducting e!periments * light bulb or light emitting diode '+"D( and * light bulb holder 'you can use a bu,,er instead of a bulb( * battery 'voltage to suit the light bulb, for e!ample, a - volt battery #ith a - volt bulb( . #ires / spoons &election of solid and liquid materials for testing !at to do *. Discuss ho# electrical circuits #ork and the role of the conductor. /. Divide students into groups and assist them to gather the equipment they need to construct the circuits to test materials. .. 0ave students complete steps *12 of the student instructions and discuss their findings. 3etals and carbon conduct electricity. %n ordinary pencil usually conducts electricity because the 4lead5 is actually carbon 'graphite(. If it doesn5t, there is probably a break inside the pencil. oloured pencils are unlikely to conduct as they are often made of coloured clays or #a!es. 6. 0ave students complete steps 71*8 of the student instructions and discuss their findings.

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Context > Super Sense > Teaching and Learning Approaches > Testing for conductivity

:sually #ater molecules 'such as in distilled #ater( are poor conductors and certainly do not conduct at the lo# voltages '*.;1-<( used here. %dding a small quantity of the additives listed may change the conductivity. It depends on #hat the additive does as it dissolves. If it breaks up 'ionises( in the #ater, it #ill probably conduct. <inegar, lemon =uice, sports drinks and soft drinks all conduct electricity as they form ions in the #ater and carry charges. %lthough electricity is conducted, only a small current passes, and the movement of the electrons is not sufficient to cause the bulb to light up. Instead, bubbles of hydrogen gas form on the spoon connected to the negative terminal. $he tiny quantity of gases produced is not sufficient to be harmful. $hese bubbles only form if the circuit is complete and electric charges flo# through the circuit. Both spoons may produce bubbles depending on #hat is being added. Tips for testing liquids >inse the glass#are #ell bet#een tests. &et it up #ith distilled #ater each time, then add #hat you #ant to test. %llo# a minute for #hat you are testing to dissolve in the #ater. :se similar spoons so they do not react #ith one another and cause confusion. $he colour of the plastic on the #ire does not matter.

Testing liquids results Ite" *. Distilled #ater /. $ap #ater .. &alt 6. &ugar ;. <inegar Discussion $uestions Why do you think you should never touch a po#er socket #ith #et handsB Conducts# ?o @es @es ?o @es Ite" 2. +emon =uice 7. &ports drinks A. &oft drinks -. Baking soda solution *8. )ree choice Conducts# @es @es @es @es

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Context > Super Sense > Teaching and Learning Approaches > Testing for conductivity

Conducting e%&eri"ents % conductor is a substance that allo#s electric charges to flo# through it. $his activity #ill allo# you to test a variety of solids and liquids to see if and ho# #ell they conduct electricity. Testing solids *. onstruct a circuit as sho#n in the images. @ou can use commercially bought kits or components 'parts( obtained from an electrical retailer.

/. $est the circuit to see if it #orks. If the connection is not complete, the path#ay is broken and the bulb does not glo#. .. onnect the free ends of the #ires to the ob=ect you #ish to test. If the ob=ect is able to conduct electricity it #ill complete the circuit, the bulb #ill glo# and you can conclude that the item is a good conductor. If the ob=ect cannot conduct electricity, the path#ay #ill be blocked, the bulb #ill not glo# and this sho#s that the item is a poor conductor 'an insulator(.

6. >epeat #ith - other ob=ects and record your results in the table belo#.

Ite" *. oin /. Cencil .. 6. ;.

Conducts# @es

Ite" 2. 7. A. -. *8.

Conducts#

;. Cut the materials that conduct electricity in one pile and those that don5t into another pile. Do you notice any similarities bet#een the ob=ects in each group 'conductors and nonD conductors(B What do you think makes an ob=ect a good conductorB 2. :se your ideas to predict if the ob=ects in the follo#ing table are good conductors and then test them to see if you are correct.

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Context > Super Sense > Teaching and Learning Approaches > Testing for conductivity

'b(ect Blades of a pair of scissors Clastic handles of a pair of scissors Ballpoint pen ?ail or scre# Dinner plate >ubber sole of a gumboot %luminium drink can 0uman hair Testing liquids 7.

)rediction

*ood conductor#

onstruct a circuit as sho#n in the images. @ou can use commercially bought kits or components 'parts( obtained from an electrical retailer.

A. $est the circuit to see if it #orks. heck that the t#o spoons are not touching 'the bulb protects the battery if they do and stops the battery from being damaged(. -. If the #ater conducts electricity, bubbles #ill form on one of the spoons. 0o#ever, it is unlikely that enough electricity #ill flo# to make the bulb shine. >emember, you #ill be looking for bubbles on the spoon, not to see if the bulb lights. $ry out this circuit #ith the other liquids suggested in the table belo# and deduce #hether they can conduct electricity. ?ote that the salt, sugar and baking soda need to be dissolved in distilled #ater.

Ite" *. Distilled #ater /. $ap #ater .. &alt 6. &ugar ;. <inegar

Conducts# ?o

Ite" 2. +emon =uice 7. &ports drinks A. &oft drinks -. Baking soda solution *8. )ree choice

Conducts#

*8. Which liquid caused the most number of bubbles to appear on the spoonB >ank the liquids in order of their conductivity, i.e. ho# good they are at conducting electricity according to the amount of bubbles produced.

9 /8871/8*8 $he :niversity of Waikato

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