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Home , Michael Faraday

WHAT DID PEOPLE ALREADY KNOW? Volta had already generated by creating a ‘’ made of pairs of copper and zinc discs piled on top of each other, separated by layers of cloth soaked in salty water. were aware of electricity, but not for any practical use.

WHAT DID THE NOTICE? Through experiments, he noticed that moving a wire in between 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? experimented with ways to keep the wire moving within a magnetic 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 created the first wind turbine that was the first electrical generator. However, this generated electricity. Coal, 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. A TIMELINE FOR THE GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY 600BC

1780 such asfeathers. attracted objects charge, which created astatic amber withwool rubbing apiece of discovered that Thales ofMiletus different typesofmetal. the frog) between two came created whenmoisture (from discovered thatacurrent was spark.Itwaslater electrical twitched whenstruckbyan muscles ofdeadfrogs’ legs Galvani discovered thatthe DEAD FROG’S LEGS LUIGI GALVANI’S

1800 between themetals. soaked insaltwater pieces ofcardboard zinc andcopper with of alternatingdiscs ‘voltaic pile’wasmade making electricity. The practical methodof discovered thefirst VOLTA’S PILE

1821 current inthewire. induced anelectric a coil ofcopper wire moving a magnetnear person todiscover that chemist, wasthefirst British and Michael Faraday, a FARADAY MICHAEL 1839 used todetectlight. and, atthistime,were only cells were inefficient very energy.into electrical These transferred theSun’senergy ‘photovoltaic cell’, which invented the CELL PHOTOVOLTAIC INVENTED THE BECQUEREL EDMOND

1882 generating electricity. Faraday’s principlesof station wasbuilt.Itused The world’s first coal power THOMAS EDISON

1888 generating electricity. also usedFaraday’s principlesfor had adiameterof17metres. It in Cleveland, Ohio byBrush.This wind turbinewasinvented in1888 The first electricity-generating CHARLES F. BRUSH

1941 the work ofBecquerel. solar cell. Hebuilton with inventing thefirst Russell Ohliscredited SOLAR POWER

1956 produces radioactive waste. releasing dioxide. However, It energy withoutusingfossil fuelsand power creates alarge amountof openedinCumbria.Nuclear scale generate energy onanindustrial The first nuclear power stationto NUCLEAR POWER 2000 electricity. waves generated the the waterdueto The riseandfall of about 400homes. electricity topower It generated enough in theworld wasbuilt. wave power station The first commercial WAVE POWER

2000s

recharged. before needingtobe now travel over 100km cars. Electriccars can development ofelectric have enabled the rechargeable batteries and highenergy density as lithium-ionbatteries New such ELECTRIC CARS FUTURE electronic ink. screen using wafer-thin electronic downloaded ontoa Information be can . devices using Scientists are making generating electricity. wayslow-carbon of continuing todevelop Scientists are A TIMELINE FOR THE GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY 600BC

1780 like feathers. attracted objects charge, which created astatic amber withwool rubbing apiece of discovered that Thales ofMiletus ? Who discovered electrical spark. electrical twitched whenstruckbyan muscles ofdeadfrogs’ legs He discovered thatthe electricity? think animalsmade Why didLuigi Galvani

1800 current. produced anelectric the ‘voltaic pile’which Alessandro Volta made electricity? way ofmaking the first practical Who invented

1821 inside acoil ofwires. wasmoved generated whena electricity was discovered that Michael Faraday a magnet? generated using How iselectricity 1839 and were notoftenused. produce alarge current However, thesedidnot from thesun’senergy. could generate electricity photovoltaic cell which Becquerel invented the photovoltaic cell? Who invented the

1882 discoveries. This relied onFaraday’s generated electricity. coal power stationthat open theworld’s first Thomas Edison helped Edison do? What didThomas

1888 turns amagnet. Faraday’s ideas.Theturbine to generate electricity, using Wind turbineswere created generated bywind? How iselectricity

1941 those ofBecquerel. He basedhisideason to create asolarcell. to bethefirst person Russell Ohlisthought Ohl do? What didRussell

1956 Radioactive wasteisproduced. fuels andcreating dioxide. carbon of energy withoutusingfossil Nuclear fuelscreate alarge amount What isNuclearPower? 2000 electricity waves generates the the waterdueto The riseandfall of Power? What isWave

2000s

recharged. before needingtobe now travel over 100km cars. Electriccars can development ofelectric batteries hasenabledthe The ofnew of electriccars? the development What hashelped FUTURE electronic ink. screen using wafer-thin electronic downloaded ontoa Information be can ‘nanotechnology’. devices using Scientists are making generating electricity. wayslow-carbon of continuing todevelop Scientists are

A TIMELINE FOR THE GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY 600BC

1780 static electricity? Who discovered electricity? think animalsmade Why didLuigi Galvani

1800 electricity? electricity? way ofmaking the first practical Who invented

1821 a magnet? generated using How iselectricity 1839 photovoltaic cell? Who invented the

1882 Edison do? What didThomas

1888 generated bywind? How iselectricity

1941 Ohl do? What didRussell

1956 What isNuclearPower? 2000 Power? What isWave

2000s

of electriccars? the development What hashelped FUTURE the future? electricity for to develop scientists using What ideasare

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING A VOLTAIC PILE LIKE VOLTA METHOD 1 washer onthe top. negative end()andneedstotouchthezinc wire coin atthebottomofstack.Theshorter isthe end ()andneedstocome incontact with the2p longer thantheother. The longerwire isthepositive When you lookattheLED,you willseethat one endis to acircuit way. inaparticular in onedirection. Thismeansthattheyneedtobeadded LEDs onlyallow acurrent toflow through them 4.  3.  2.  1. Beginbysoakingthecotton padsinthevinegar. RESOURCES –PERVOLTAIC PILEYOU WILLNEED:       so thatthecomponents stayinplace. could experiment with. the LEDtolight,butthisissomethingchildren trials, we found thatitneededaboutseven unitsfor repeating units stacked ontopof each other. Inour one unit. of thisandthewasherontoppad.Thiscreates Use theelectricaltapetowrap around thevoltaic pile thisoutagainsothatthereCarry are anumberof Place a2pcoin onthedesk,thenacotton padontop Some electricaltapeorsticking a forward of1.6V) An LED(we recommend buyingoneswith A smallcuporbeaker ofvinegar(maltisfine) or washers/foil) 2p coin (butnowiderorthicker thanthecoins pieces ofcardboard cuttothesamesize asthe Approximately seven cotton padsorabsorbent because theyhave ahighercopper content) Approximately seven 2pcoins (we suggestpre-1992 a 2pcoin size asa2pcoin) oraluminiumfoil cuttothesize of Approximately seven zincwashers (aboutthesame

•  •  TOP TIPS in asimilarway. discussion aboutfruitbatteries,whichwork lemon juice. Thiscould leadontoa Instead ofvinegar, you using could try If theLEDdoesnotwork, you mayneedto: c) ensure thatthevinegarhasnotdriedout. b)  a) addmore repeating stacks check that the LED is wired in the check thattheLEDiswired inthe correct direction

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING A VOLTAIC PILE METHOD 2 7.  6.  5.  4.  3.  2. Filluptheindividualice cubesectionswithvinegar. 1.  RESOURCES –PERGROUP YOU WILLNEED:      wire. TheLEDwillstraddle thetwo sections. end inthesectionwithnail andtheotherwith (see bottomsectionsoftray intheimagetoright). wire are placed inthelasttwo ice cubesections contain a nailandpiece ofwire. (see picture). then itsassociatedwire intoanotherfree section that isattachedtoitintothenext. top ofeachnail. Gently pull apart the two ends of the LED. Place one thetwo endsoftheLED.PlaceGently pullapart one Make sure thateitheranailorpiece ofcopper Continue doingthisuntilallbutoneofthesections Place another nailintothesectionwithwire and Place thefirst nailinonesectionandthe copper wire Begin bywrapping about1cmofthewire around the voltage of1.6V) An LED(we recommend buyingoneswithaforward A smallcuporbeaker ofvinegar(maltisfine) Approximately 11galvanized nails 5cm inlength Approximately 11pieces ofcopper wire, eachabout An ice cubetray

•  •  TOP TIPS If theLEDdoesnotwork you mayneedto: You could testhow manysectionsare c)  b)  a)  needed tomake theLEDlight. check thatnoneofthenailsare in thevinegar touching anyofthecopper wires check thateachwire and/or nailis submerged invinegar. check thattheLEDiswired inthe this around correct direction. You canjustswitch

MAKE YOUR OWN WIND TURBINE RESOURCES: 3.  2. Draw 2linesdiagonally, from corner tocorner. 1. Cutoutasquare piece ofpaper/card. 4.     from thehole. (you canuseaholepunch). the diameterofstraw thatyou willbeusing Make aholeinthemiddle,slightlysmallerthan Cut along each line, stopping about 2cm Cut alongeachline,stopping about2cm Wooden skewers orkebab sticks Glue Scissors Tape Paperclip String Paper straws Strong paper/card 5.  stick it with glue. stick itwithglue. cut stopsnearthemiddleofpaperand Bring eachfree corner down towhere the Paperclip String 10. Now experiment withdifferent fin designs. 9.  8.  7.  6.  Chopstick Pencil or many timesthestringwraps around thestraw. the sailsofwindturbineandcount how to apaperclip. string. Tieortapetheotherendofstring spin freely. the straw sothatthewindturbinecan windmill. Itshouldfitsnugly. Hold theendsofwooden skewer, blow on Towards theendofstraw, tapeapiece of Put awooden skewer/chopstick through astrawInsert through themiddleofyour

Tape Paper straw

e.g. canorbottle Heavy vessel,

design Turbine

WIND POWER

We will be learning about Michael Faraday and how he created a method to generate electricity. We will be making wind turbines and testing their properties.

VOCABULARY CURRENT BATTERY GENERATOR WIND TURBINE RENEWABLE WHAT DO YOU USE ELECTRICITY FOR? COULD YOU LIVE WITHOUT IT FOR A DAY? WHAT EXPERIENCES OF STATIC ELECTRICITY HAVE YOU HAD?

The first discovery of static electricity was in 600 BC, when Thales of Miletus found that rubbing a piece of amber with wool created a static charge, that attracted objects like feathers. WHAT DID THE SCIENTIST NOTICE?

In the 1780s, Luigi Galvani (a biologist) performed experiments involving frogs. While cutting a frog’s leg, Galvani’s steel scalpel touched a brass hook that was holding the leg in place. The leg twitched. Galvani was convinced that he was seeing the effects of what he called animal electricity. WHAT DID THE SCIENTIST NOTICE?

Alessandro Volta was an Italian physicist, chemist, and a pioneer of electricity. Volta was able to repeat the results of Galvani’s experiment, but he was not convinced it was the frog’s leg that was making electricity. WHAT DID THE SCIENTIST DO?

Volta repeated Galvani’s experiments many times with many different materials. From these experiments he came to the conclusion that it wasn’t the frog’s leg that produced electricity, but the two different metals. The frog’s leg just showed the presence of the electricity. WHAT DID THE SCIENTIST FIND OUT?

In 1800, after lots of experimenting, he developed the first battery. It consisted of a pile of zinc and silver discs and between alternating discs, a piece of cardboard that had been soaked in saltwater. A wire connecting the bottom zinc disc to the top silver disc could produce repeated sparks. No frogs were injured in the production of a voltaic pile! WHAT DID THE SCIENTIST NOTICE?

Michael Faraday, a British physicist and chemist, discovered that moving a magnet near a coil of copper wire produced an in the wire. What question did the scientist ask? 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? This led him to invent the Faraday disc which was the first electrical generator. However, this needed other scientists’ ideas to make it work more effectively. WHAT DID OTHER SCIENTISTS DO?

What did find out?

Charles Brush used these ideas to create the first wind turbine which generated electricity. Wind can be used to move blades and when connected to a generator can produce electricity. Inside the generator is a magnet and a coil of wire. The blades spin the magnet. WHAT QUESTION DO YOU THINK THE SCIENTIST ASKED?

How can we make the best wind turbine to generate electricity? WHAT WILL YOU DO?

1. Get your teacher to show you how to make a wind turbine and explore how it works. 2. You will see how well it works by looking at how quickly the paper clip is lifted up. 3. Consider a range of factors that might improve your windmill. 4. Choose one and test this WHAT WILL YOU DO?

What will you change? What will you measure? • Shape of the blades • The number of turns • Material of blades • The speed of turns • Size of blades • Thickness of blades • Number of blades

What did you find out? Which turbine was the best? Why was it the best? How do you know? What other modifications could you make? WHAT DID OTHER SCIENTISTS DO NEXT?

A lot of electricity is generated However, we now have electric Renewable energy is by burning fossil fuels or by cars, solar panels on our now being developed using nuclear fuels, which school roofs and batteries internationally. Electricity have drawbacks. Do you know that last for weeks. These also is generated using the sun, what these are? have drawbacks. wind, waves, and even from food waste. WHAT DID OTHER SCIENTISTS DO NEXT?

Henry Snaith and his team are working out how to make solar cells far more efficient and much cheaper. WHAT WOULD YOU DO NEXT?

Scientists are continually How can we use trying to discover How else could we less electricity? environmentally generate electricity? friendly ways of generating energy