Question about Shed Light on Electric Generators: Do More Coils Generate More Electricity? activity

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davesci22
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Question about Shed Light on Electric Generators: Do More Coils Generate More Electricity? activity

Post by davesci22 »

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When testing the generator, the led would not light up. Checked the output with a multimeter and would only get .5 volts max.




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bfinio
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Re: Question about Shed Light on Electric Generators: Do More Coils Generate More Electricity? activity

Post by bfinio »

Hi - have you read through the FAQ for this project? DC measurements with a multimeter will not be accurate since the generator produces an AC voltage. The FAQ provides some troubleshooting suggestions:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ricity#faq
davesci22
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Generator that powers leds

Post by davesci22 »

This is project 6 of the electric motor/generator kit. In this project a 4 coil and a 6 coil is wound around a iron core. Assembled the generator with the cores and tested with a led. No light is emitted when spinning the generator. Tested the output on the wires with a multimeter and would only get about .3 volts. Is this expected. I went through all the troubleshooting responses listed on the website. Any help would be appreciated.
davesci22
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Re: Question about Shed Light on Electric Generators: Do More Coils Generate More Electricity? activity

Post by davesci22 »

I did go through the FAQ section but nothing helped. When checking with a multimeter I set it to AC where it peaked at .3 volts when spinning rapidly by hand. Tried using a cordless drill just for a test and it would get up to 1 volt but it was spinning very fast.
AmyCowen
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Re: Question about Shed Light on Electric Generators: Do More Coils Generate More Electricity? activity

Post by AmyCowen »

Hi - I talked with our team about your questions, and I have some feedback from one of our staff scientists that I hope will help you troubleshoot your project.
Hi, I am glad you worked through the frequently asked questions for the project. Thank you!

With respect to the multimeter measurement: It definitively proves you are generating a voltage drop. That is great. Could you clarify a little? You say you are doing project 6 from the kit. This is probably referring to project 6 of the booklet that comes with the kit. Unfortunately, I do not have the booklet. Did you compare that project with the instructions on the Science Buddies web page?

I am particularly wondering about how many magnets you are using, and how they are positioned (alternating N and S poles facing out and positioning with respect to the coil).

We, unfortunately, can only provide direct support for the instructions as written on our site. Once I know your configuration, I am happy to give you more advice on what might be wrong and how to fix it.
Amy
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