Energy Transfer: Motors, Generators, and Sources of Electricity
Students explore the relationship between, and practical applications of, electricity and magnets. They use a battery, a magnet and a coiled wire to build a simple electric motor and then use a pre-assembled electric motor to generate electric current. In Activity 2, students read about how electricity is generated for home and commercial use. They compare the methods and equipment needed to convert energy carried by renewable and nonrenewable resources into electric current.
Details at a Glance
- 2-3 Days | 2-3 ~50 minute class periods
- 2 Activities
- Accommodates unlimited classes, each with 6 groups of 4 students
- Meets our criteria for supporting literacy
- All materials are non-consumable
- Includes digital resources
Scientific Concepts
•Energy is a property of many substances and is associated with heat, light, electricity, mechanical motion, sound, nuclei, and the nature of a chemical. Energy is transferred in many ways.
•Electrical circuits provide a means of transferring electrical energy when heat, light, sound, and chemical changes are produced.
•Important personal and social decisions are made based on perceptions of benefits and risks.
•Electricity and magnetism are two aspects of a single electromagnetic force. Moving electric charges produce magnetic forces and moving magnets produce electric forces. These effects help students understand electric motors and generators.
•The earth does not have infinite resources; increasing human consumption places severe stress on the natural processes that renew some resources, and it depletes those resources that cannot be renewed.
•Materials from human societies affect both physical and chemical cycles of the earth.
•Many factors influence environmental quality.
KEY VOCABULARY: biomass, electric generator, electric motor, fossil fuel,geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, magnetic field, non-renewable resource, nuclear energy, photovoltaic (solar) cell, power plant, radioactive, renewable resource, wind farm
Guides & Student Sheets
Our kits and modules provide you with everything you need so you can open, review, and teach the material confidently the next day.
- Comprehensive Teacher Guide with background information, detailed instruction, example data and answers
- Student Sheets with age appropriate background information, full procedure(s), and analysis items
- Materials necessary for the investigation (beyond common classroom items)
- Safety Data Sheets
Kit Components
- 1 Teacher’s Guide with MSDS
- 28 Student Worksheets and Guides
- 6 Wire lead with clips, black
- 6 Wire lead with clips, red
- 12 Bar magnets
- 6 Coils of enameled wire
- 6 D-cell battery holders
- 6 Electric motors
- 6 LED bulbs
- 1 Transparency 1: Comparing Energy Resources
- 12 Copper arms for motor mounts
- 6 Motor mount, Lab-Aids signature item
- Not included and needed for instruction: (8) D-cell batteries.
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