On friday at Mr. Chung's class, we played the whole period with a ....ping pong ball= =!
Obviously it's not the one we're usually play with(the one is shown above...), it's actually a ping pong ball with electric circuit inside it, and there were two piecies of metal on the surface of tha ball, when your fingers touch both sides of the metal, the ball will start flashing and humming, so we call it "energy ball"! we were divided into groups of 4, and each group was given a envolop with 12 questions inside.
Q1. Can you make the energy ball work? what do you think makes the ball work?
Yes, of course- -! The ball is actually an opened circuit, the two piecies of metals is actually act as the opened switch. When our fingers touch both sides of the metals, we actually connect the circuit with our body. So the whole electric circuit is complete and that makes the ball work.
Q2. Why do you have to touch both metal contacts to make the ball work?
I just answered this question at Q1...we have to touch both metal contacts because we have to complete the circuit. Again the ball is an opened circuit, and us were acting like a conducter, when our fingers touch both metals, we actually make the circuit inside the ball.
Q3. Will the ball light up if you connect the contacts with any material?
The ball can light up as long as the material is a conductor or some materials sort of metals.
Q4. Which materials will make the energy ball work? Test your hypothesis...
Any materials as long as it is a good conductor..
Q5. This ball does not work on certain individual - what could cause this to happen?
This ball does not work when the material isn't a good conductor.
Q6. Can you make the energy ball work with all 5-6 individuals in your group? will it work with the entire class?
Yes, of course//the enery ball lights up in my group by connecting hands. It will surely work with the entire class as long as everyone connects their hands with each other.
Q7. What kind of a circuit can you form with one energy ball?
My group formed a DC, which is direct current. because as the definition for DC is: the current flows in a single direction from the power supply to through the conductor to a load. We are actually making a circuit and the electric just moved through our body. It fits the definition for a DC.
Q8. Given 2 balls(combine two groups) can you create a circuit where both balls light up?
Yes! We joined another group and hold our pinkies together to make a circle(you always have to make a circle), just as what we did for the first one, the only difference is this time, we need two people to hold the balls. And it surely works~ we made both balls light up. Q9. What do you think will happen if one person lets go of the other person's hand and why?
When one person lets go of the other person's hand, that means the circuit is incomplete, since the circuit is incomplete, the ball won't light up. Because inside the ball, it is a DC current, when the current is disconnected, the electric ccannot transfer, so that the circuit won't be completed, and the ball won't be light up.
Q10. Does it matter who lets go? try it...
No, it does not matter. No mater who lets go, that means the ciecuit would be disconnected. Which indicates the electrons cannot pass on, and obviously the ball won't light up.
Q11. Can you create a circuit where only one ball lights(both balls must be included)
YES! In parallel circuit the above situation appears. As the picture shown below, in parallel circuit, even if one circuit is disconnected, there's still another circuit will be connected, in this situation, there's only one ball lights up, but there're really two light bulbs present.
Q12. What is the minimum number of people required to complete this?
The minimum number of people that are required to complete this parallel circuit is 5.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SERIES AND A PARALLEL CIRCUIT
The difference is that a parallel circuit has more than one path in the circuit,
and a series circuit only has one way around it.
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