What Did People Already Know? What Did the Scientist Notice? What Question Do You Think the Scientist Asked? What Did the Scient
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WHAT DID PEOPLE ALREADY KNOW? Volta had already generated electricity by creating a ‘voltaic pile’ made of pairs of copper and zinc discs piled on top of each other, separated by layers of cloth soaked in salty water. Scientists were aware of electricity, but not for any practical use. WHAT DID THE SCIENTIST NOTICE? Through experiments, he noticed that moving a wire in between magnets created a current, but only for the time whilst the wire was moving. WHAT QUESTION DO YOU THINK THE SCIENTIST ASKED? How can I generate a constant supply of electricity for people to use? WHAT DID THE SCIENTIST DO? Faraday experimented with ways to keep the wire moving within a magnetic field to provide a constant source of electricity. MICHAEL FARADAY WHAT WOULD YOU DO NEXT? WHAT DID THE SCIENTIST WHAT DID OTHER SCIENTISTS FIND OUT? DO NEXT? This led him to invent the ‘Faraday disk’, which Nearly all electricity today is generated using Faraday’s ideas. Charles Brush created the first wind turbine that was the first electrical generator. However, this generated electricity. Coal, gas and nuclear power stations needed other scientists’ ideas to make it work were constructed to generate electricity, but now we are developing more environmentally-friendly methods. more effectively. 1800 1839 FUTURE EDMOND VOLTA’S PILE 1888 BECQUEREL Alessandro Volta INVENTED THE Scientists are discovered the first PHOTOVOLTAIC 1956 continuing to develop practical method of CELL low-carbon ways of making electricity. The NUCLEAR POWER generating electricity. Thales of Miletus ‘voltaic pile’ was made Becquerel invented the CHARLES F. BRUSH Scientists are making discovered that of alternating discs of ‘photovoltaic cell’, which The first nuclear power station to devices using rubbing a piece of zinc and copper with transferred the Sun’s energy The first electricity-generating generate energy on an industrial nanotechnology. amber with wool pieces of cardboard into electrical energy. These wind turbine was invented in 1888 scale opened in Cumbria. Nuclear Information can be created a static soaked in salt water cells were very inefficient in Cleveland, Ohio by Brush. This power creates a large amount of downloaded onto a 600BC charge, which between the metals. and, at this time, were only had a diameter of 17 metres. It energy without using fossil fuels and wafer-thin electronic attracted objects used to detect light. also used Faraday’s principles for releasing carbon dioxide. However, It screen using such as feathers. generating electricity. produces radioactive waste. electronic ink. LUIGI GALVANI’S MICHAEL THOMAS EDISON SOLAR POWER WAVE POWER s ELECTRIC CARS DEAD FROG’S LEGS FARADAY The world’s first coal power Russell Ohl is credited The first commercial New inventions such Galvani discovered that the Michael Faraday, a station was built. It used with inventing the first wave power station as lithium-ion batteries 1780 muscles of dead frogs’ legs 1821 British physicist and 1882 Faraday’s principles of 1941 solar cell. He built on 2000 in the world was built. and high energy density twitched when struck by an chemist, was the first generating electricity. the work of Becquerel. It generated enough 2000 rechargeable batteries electrical spark. It was later person to discover that electricity to power have enabled the discovered that a current was moving a magnet near about 400 homes. development of electric created when moisture (from a coil of copper wire The rise and fall of cars. Electric cars can the frog) came between two induced an electric the water due to the now travel over 100km different types of metal. current in the wire. waves generated the before needing to be electricity. recharged. A TIMELINE FOR THE GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY THE GENERATION A TIMELINE FOR FUTURE 1800 Scientists are 1839 1888 continuing to develop low-carbon ways of Who discovered Who invented the generating electricity. static electricity? Scientists are making Who invented 1956 Thales of Miletus photovoltaic cell? the first practical devices using discovered that Becquerel invented the ‘nanotechnology’. way of making How is electricity rubbing a piece of photovoltaic cell which What is Nuclear Power? Information can be 600BC electricity? could generate electricity generated by wind? amber with wool Nuclear fuels create a large amount downloaded onto a Alessandro Volta made from the sun’s energy. Wind turbines were created created a static of energy without using fossil wafer-thin electronic the ‘voltaic pile’ which However, these did not to generate electricity, using charge, which fuels and creating carbon dioxide. screen using produced an electric produce a large current Faraday’s ideas. The turbine attracted objects Radioactive waste is produced. electronic ink. like feathers. current. and were not often used. turns a magnet. Why did Luigi Galvani How is electricity What did Thomas What did Russell What is Wave s What has helped think animals made generated using Edison do? Ohl do? Power? the development electricity? a magnet? Thomas Edison helped Russell Ohl is thought The rise and fall of of electric cars? He discovered that the Michael Faraday open the world’s first to be the first person the water due to the The invention of of new 1780 1821 1882 1941 2000 muscles of dead frogs’ legs discovered that coal power station that to create a solar cell. waves generates the 2000 batteries has enabled the twitched when struck by an electricity was generated electricity. He based his ideas on electricity development of electric electrical spark. generated when a This relied on Faraday’s those of Becquerel. cars. Electric cars can magnet was moved discoveries. now travel over 100km inside a coil of wires. before needing to be recharged. A TIMELINE FOR THE GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY THE GENERATION A TIMELINE FOR FUTURE 1800 What ideas are 1839 1888 scientists using Who discovered to develop static electricity? Who invented the electricity for Who invented photovoltaic cell? 1956 the future? the first practical way of making How is electricity What is Nuclear Power? 600BC electricity? generated by wind? Why did Luigi Galvani How is electricity What did Thomas What did Russell What is Wave s What has helped think animals made generated using Edison do? Ohl do? Power? the development electricity? a magnet? of electric cars? 1780 1821 1882 1941 2000 2000 A TIMELINE FOR THE GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY THE GENERATION A TIMELINE FOR RESOURCES – PER VOLTAIC PILE YOU WILL NEED: TOP TIPS Approximately seven zinc washers (about the same • If the LED does not work, you may need to: size as a 2p coin) or aluminium foil cut to the size of a) add more repeating stacks a 2p coin b) check that the LED is wired in the Approximately seven 2p coins (we suggest pre-1992 correct direction because they have a higher copper content) c) ensure that the vinegar has not dried out. Approximately seven cotton pads or absorbent pieces of cardboard cut to the same size as the • Instead of vinegar, you could try using 2p coin (but no wider or thicker than the coins lemon juice. This could lead on to a or washers/foil) discussion about fruit batteries, which work A small cup or beaker of vinegar (malt vinegar is fine) in a similar way. An LED (we recommend buying ones with a forward voltage of 1.6V) Some electrical tape or sticking tape 1. Begin by soaking the cotton pads in the vinegar. 2. Place a 2p coin on the desk, then a cotton pad on top of this and the washer on top of the pad. This creates one unit. 3. Carry this out again so that there are a number of repeating units stacked on top of each other. In our trials, we found that it needed about seven units for the LED to light, but this is something the children could experiment with. 4. Use the electrical tape to wrap around the voltaic pile so that the components stay in place. LEDs only allow a current to flow through them in one direction. This means that they need to be added to a circuit in a particular way. When you look at the LED, you will see that one end is longer than the other. The longer wire is the positive end (anode) and needs to come in contact with the 2p coin at the bottom of the stack. The shorter wire is the negative end (cathode) and needs to touch the zinc INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING A VOLTAIC PILE LIKE VOLTA METHOD 1 PILE LIKE VOLTA MAKING A VOLTAIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR washer on the top. RESOURCES – PER GROUP YOU WILL NEED: TOP TIPS An ice cube tray • If the LED does not work you may need to: Approximately 11 pieces of copper wire, each about a) check that none of the nails are 5cm in length touching any of the copper wires Approximately 11 galvanized nails in the vinegar A small cup or beaker of vinegar (malt vinegar is fine) b) check that the LED is wired in the An LED (we recommend buying ones with a forward correct direction. You can just switch voltage of 1.6V) this around c) check that each wire and/or nail is 1. Begin by wrapping about 1cm of the wire around the submerged in vinegar. top of each nail. 2. Fill up the individual ice cube sections with vinegar. • You could test how many sections are needed to make the LED light. 3. Place the first nail in one section and the copper wire that is attached to it into the next. 4. Place another nail into the section with the wire and then its associated wire into another free section (see picture).