Elementary School, Electricity & Electronics Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 4)

The Speed of Light: Explore Solar Energy with a Supercapacitor Car Motor!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Solar cells are devices that can be used as a source of power when there is light shining on them, but they stop producing energy when they are not in the light. One way to store the solar energy for later use is to use a solar cell to charge something called a capacitor. The capacitor stores the energy as an electric field, which can be tapped into at any time, in or out of light. In this electronics science project, you will use parts of a solar car to experiment with the energy storage… Read more

Use Sewable Circuits to Make Cool Costumes and Accessories

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Do you want to add color-changing lights to your own clothing, costume, or fashion accessory? What about making the lights flash, or adding sensors to make them automatically react to things like temperature or motion? You can do it all with sewable circuits, also called wearable electronics, that let you sew circuit parts directly into fabric. You can make anything from a basic circuit with a few LEDs up to a programmable, Arduino-compatible circuit with multiple sensor inputs and multiple… Read more

Create Light Up Artwork with a Raspberry Pi

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever seen night lights that automatically turn on when it gets dark? What about art projects, like paintings or sculptures, with embedded lights? This project will let you combine the two, by adding lights to an art project of your choice. You can make the lights automatically turn on when it gets dark using a Raspberry Pi. Check out the video to see what this simple, but fun, project looks like. IMPORTANT: The instructions for this project were originally written using Scratch 2 on a… Read more

Effect of Different Materials on a Magnetic Field

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You've seen that a magnet's attractive force can cause a small object (like a paper clip) to "jump" to the magnet. So a magnetic field can act through the air, but what about other materials? Here's an experiment you can do to find out. You'll need a strong bar magnet, a stack of books, a paper clip, some thread and tape. Place the bar magnet underneath the top book in your stack, so that it sticks out. Tie a piece of thread (as long as the stack of books is high) to a paper clip. You… Read more

Find the Best Place to Put a Solar Panel

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Imagine trying to put a solar panel on your roof or outside your home to generate clean, renewable energy. Where would you put it so it generates as much power as possible throughout the day? What direction should it face? Is there a way to take measurements to find the best location before you install the panel? In this project, you will use a tiny programmable device called a micro:bit to record light data and find the best place to put your panel. Read more

Invent an Interactive Toy with a Raspberry Pi

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Did you ever have a favorite toy like an action figure or doll that could light up, make noise, or move? This project will show you how to make your own interactive toy using a Raspberry Pi. Check out the video to see what this simple, but fun, project looks like. The version you make does not have to be a robot; it can be any shape and have any sound effects you want. IMPORTANT: The instructions for this project were originally written using Scratch 2 on a Raspberry Pi 3B+. If you are using a… Read more

Mapping Magnetic Fields

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You probably know that you can use iron filings to reveal the magnetic field produced by a strong magnet. If you sandwich the iron filings between pieces of waxed paper, you can make a permanent record of your magnetic experiments (Gardner, 2004, 66). Cover the wax paper sandwich with a layer of brown paper (from a roll, or cut open a paper shopping bag), and then (with an adult's help) use a hot, dry iron to seal the waxed paper together. You will have to experiment a little with your iron… Read more

Program a Sound Level Meter to Help Protect Your Hearing

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you ever said, "That hurt my ears!" when someone yelled loudly right next to you? Do you cover your ears when a fire truck drives by with the sirens blaring? It is good to protect your ears—even sounds that do not "hurt" can cause hearing damage if you are exposed to them for too long. In this project, you will program a device that alerts you when sounds have exceeded safe levels long enough to cause hearing damage. Read more

Rock On! Recording Digital Data with Magnets

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

This is a straightforward project that shows you how data can be digitized and stored on magnetic recording media. You'll learn how alpha-numeric characters are digitized, and you'll use bar magnets to represent the individual data "bits." You'll also learn about how much information can be stored in a small space (recording density), and how magnetic data can be erased. Read more

Upstairs, Downstairs: Turning on a Light from Two Places

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Maybe somewhere in your home there's a long hallway or a stairway with a light that you can turn on from either end. It's a nice convenience, but did you ever wonder how it's wired up to work that way? The goal of this project is to build a similar circuit with switches, flashlight batteries and a flashlight bulb (obviously, household circuits are not safe to experiment with). You'll need to understand the difference between connections made in series and connections made in parallel in an… Read more

Elementary School, Electricity & Electronics Projects, Lessons, Activities (44 results)

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