Good Electronics Projects

• Electronic experiments spark students' curiosity. Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

  Hands-on science projects help students engage in the learning process and fully comprehend the practical applications of the concepts they're learning. Teaching about electricity can be especially fun because of the variety of simple electronics projects you can present in the classroom. These projects are relatively inexpensive, and the materials are not difficult to find. If you have students work in groups, they'll also gain important teamwork skills as they learn the basics of electricity.

Lemon Battery

• Show students how to make a battery out of a lemon. Stick a copper nail and a zinc nail into the lemon about 2 in. apart from each other. Cut two pieces of electrical wire into 6-in. lengths, and strip 1.in of the wire insulation off each end of the wires. Wrap the bare wires around each of the nails. Touch the other ends of the wires to your tongue--you should feel a tingle. Challenge the students to make batteries out of different kinds of fruits. Does it make a difference which type of fruit they use?

Magnetized Screwdriver

• Teach the properties of magnetism by making a temporary magnet. Wrap an insulated wire around the metal end of a screwdriver in a coil-like fashion. Briefly touch the ends of the wire to the terminals of a large dry-cell battery. Remove the wire from the battery, and then test the screwdriver for magnetism. What items can it pick up? What items can it not pick up? How long does the magnetism last?

Balloon Static Electricity

• Demonstrate static electricity by rubbing a piece of wool against a blown-up balloon. After you've rubbed the balloon with the wool, hold it up against the wall and allow it to stick there. Time the balloon to see how long it can stay up. Does static electricity build up if you rub the balloon with something other than wool? Does it matter how dry the air is?

Electric Gelatin

• Further illustrate static electricity with an experiment involving balloons and gelatin. Pour a packet of unflavored gelatin on a paper plate. Rub an inflated balloon with a piece of wool for about 10 seconds. Hold the charged part of the balloon about 1 in. above the gelatin, but don't let it touch the gelatin. Slowly raise the balloon higher, and carefully watch the movement of the gelatin below it. What happens if you use flavored gelatin instead of unflavored? Would this experiment work with salt or sugar instead of gelatin?