Science

Technology for electricity has evolved over time, but the basic principles of positive and negative charges can be demonstrated by creating a simple battery with supplies around the house and from...

Electrical switches are used to control the flow of electrical current in an electrical circuit. A "closed" switch enables electrical current to flow through the electrical circuit; "opening" a...

A Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulb is made from two different materials that conduct electricity, known as semiconductors. One of the two types of semiconductors has too many electrons in it, and...

Halogen lights operate on the same principle as other incandescent lamps; however, the different chemicals used to make halogen lamps create a brighter, longer-lasting and more efficient light...

Michael Faraday was the first to notice, in the 19th century, that a magnet creates electricity in a closed electric circuit that cuts through its magnetic field lines. Faraday noticed this by...

When your running lights go out and you're trying to find the cause, remember that all troubleshooting follows the same steps: Verify that there is a real problem; find out what's happening and...

Although it might seem like there is a world of difference between a candle and an electric light bulb, in fact an incandescent light bulb like the one perfected by Thomas Edison produces light...

Phosphoric acid is found naturally in various produce such as tomatoes, lemons and potatoes. It reacts with both zinc and copper to create excess electrons. These electrons flow between the two...

A perpetual motion drinking bird is powered by the heat differential between its head and tail. In an upright position, the felt bill of the bird is wetted, cooling it by evaporation. The...

If you've got a drawer or bag full of batteries all mixed together, it's impossible to tell just by looking at them which ones are "good" and which ones are long past being useful. Buying a...

A plasma ball is a glass ball with a miniature Tesla coil inside. When the plasma ball is turned on, you can see what looks like purple lightning shooting out from the center of the ball to the...

There are two types of mercury thermometers. The first type of thermometer either measures the temperature, indoors or out. Used in medicine, the second type of thermometer measures body temperature.

An electrical transformer is used to increase or decrease the voltage of an alternating current. A transformer requires an alternating current (AC) to work, such a wall socket. The structure of a...

Many schools require students to complete one science project each year to be displayed at the science fair. These science projects don't have to be complicated to win awards. Sometimes the best...

A hygrometer is a weather instrument used to determine relative humidity. It may be electronic, or it may consist of two thermometers. One has a dry bulb and the other has a bulb that is kept wet...

You may remember a science experiment from your youth where fruit is used to light up a small light bulb. This type of experiment is as appealing to kids today as it was in the past, and it's a...

Lights are very simple electrical components and represent an ideal beginner direct current (DC) project. While household lighting involves powerful, high-amperage electricity, battery-operated...

In science, efficacy is a quantity of measurement for light sources. It's described as the ratio of luminous flux to power (lm/W). This is important since it essentially tells us how much light is...

A psychrometer, sometimes called a "wet bulb/dry bulb thermometer," is just that. It has two thermometers, one red and one blue. They may read in the Celsius scale or in degrees Fahrenheit. One...

A sling psychrometer is an instrument that measures the relative humidity and dew point in an area. A sling psychrometer has two thermometers: a wet bulb and a dry bulb. The wet bulb has a cotton...

All atomizers work on the principle of air flow and suction. When horizontal air passes over a vertical tube, it causes the air and liquid inside the vertical tube to be pulled upward. Classic...

Despite Thomas Edison not inventing the first light bulb, he did invent the first household light bulb. There is a small rumor that he was afraid of the dark. Thanks to Thomas Edison, everyone...

A flashlight is a hand-held light source that works on batteries and has a small, incandescent bulb or one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The bulb is usually encased in a housing of metal...

You never know when it might come in handy to know how to power up a light bulb with a battery. If the electricity goes out in the middle of a storm, you can produce light by removing the light...

Volumetric pipettes are glass or plastic tubes used for measuring and delivering an exact volume of a solution. They are calibrated in milliliters (ml) and available in a variety of volume sizes....

The plasma ball, also commonly referred to as a plasma globe, is a fascinating novelty item. It works by conducting electricity from a central electrode through gases such as argon, neon and...

A simple circuit is a path for electricity that goes from the power source to the object and back. Very few parts make this circuit "simple," but simple circuits---from those found inside...

Electrical power must be transferred by some types of switching. These switches employ a contact point or contactor. The size of the contactor, the amount of electricity that can be switched by...

A psychrometer is an instrument that measures both the wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures. Two thermometers are needed to measure these parameters. Using these readings the relative humidity can...

You can use citrus fruit to light up a light bulb by making a fruit battery. Fruit batteries are an ideal science fair project for elementary and middle school students. They're fun, safe and...

Electrical circuits need to be complete to work. The electricity must be able to flow uninterrupted through the various wires and components. But circuits that are complete all the time aren't as...

A light bulb does not need to be installed into a wall or lamp in order to make it light up. Light bulbs can be attached to light switches and run by battery. This is especially useful in basement...

Nothing's worse than a drawer full of batteries, none of which you can be sure still works. Banish this situation by building a simple circuit that conclusively demonstrates the validity and...

All electric light bulbs basically operate on the same principle. They run electric current through matter, which excites the matter and produces light. Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs and...

Making a battery-powered clock from a lemon is an old hat science project. Building a homemade solar cell than can run a small light bulb has a lot more panache. Following this guide will show you...

Light bulbs are one of the few inventions that have remained pretty much the same over the years. It's a fairly basic construct that makes use of electron currents to produce light. Its framework...

The working part of a light bulb is called the filament, which is a thin piece of metal that gets very hot. Discover how argon gas in a light bulb keeps the light bulb from burning with...

Electricity is used to light up a bulb by heating up the tungsten filament to the point that it glows white. Find out why light bulbs burn out with information from a science teacher in this free...

Laser pointers can be useful tools and a great way of messing with your friends and your poor confused feline house guests. Paying for a commercial laser pointer can set a person back $100 for a...

"Hygrometer" is a general term for an instrument used to measure humidity. There are different types of hygrometers that work on different principles. One kind is the so-called sling psychrometer.

What we think of as a "light bulb" is actually an incandescent lamp was marketed widely as the first practical electrical grid was built at the turn of the 20th century. Even though today's...

On January 27, 1880, Thomas Alva Edison was granted a patent for the electric light bulb, and for the first time in human history, man could conquer the night with the flip of a switch. Although...

You can make an LED spotlight from a 10-watt bulb and PVC pipe. This flashlight is bright and will last a long time for the amount of light it gives off. The design runs on batteries, but there is...

Reducing voltage in an electrical circuit with resistors is an efficient way for controlling electrical power. The most important aspect for the use of resistors is the correct sizing of that...

A potato contains phosphoric acid (H3PO4), which reacts with both copper and zinc. That chemical reaction creates free electrons, and those electrons can flow from one chemical reaction to the...

A touch lamp seems almost magical. You touch the metal of the lamp, and the lamp lights. Touch it again, and the bulb brightens even without a three-way bulb in the lamp. The materials needed to...

Creating a light bulb from a potato is not as far-fetched as it might sound. It is a perfect example of how a battery creates electricity. Despite its shape and distinct vegetable appearance,...

One of the most basic teaching aids and science projects in the field of electrical engineering is the light bulb circuit. The idea is to demonstrate that electricity will flow around a continuous...

Make a light bulb work with a battery using a common battery, pieces of copper wire and a flashlight bulb. These steps create a simple circuit. Create variety or a more permanent light by using...

When building a circuit with a battery, it's important to note that a battery is a collection of a number of cells. Learn about how a higher voltage battery will create a brighter bulb in a...