Electricity and Magnetism -- Energy sources

Electrical energy sources: batteries and voltage

A battery is similar to a water tower
-- it provides the pressure that makes
a current go

When we studied siphons, we found that to make fluid flow you need a pressure difference (or a height difference) from one end of a tube to the other. The pressure supplies the energy that makes it go. Electrical current needs something to make it go, too: voltage, the electrical equivalent to pressure.

Main pages in this section	Estimated time required	Link to activities in teacher manual
Exploring batteries	30 minutes	..
Make a battery	30 minutes	Storing Electrical Energy #3
Science content: about batteries	30 minutes
How we use electrical power	30 minutes
Electrical safety	15 minutes
Discussion of batteries and sources of electrical energy	30 minutes

Materials needed for this section

batteries *
battery holders *
wires with clip ends *
light bulb and socket *
buzzer *
the materials for "making a battery" *
- 4 brass washers and 4 zinc-plated washers *
- small bottle of salty vinegar *
- pipette *
- a small piece of aluminum foil *
- squares of paper towel *
- light emitting diode *

*Provided in the kit

Other pages of interest:

Why study batteries and sources of electrical energy?
More about batteries, including home-made batteries
Lightning
Static electricity

Next section:Summary of the module