How To Build an Emergency Light
If you ever find yourself stranded on the side of the road at night with a flat tire, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to see clearly enough to change the tire. A flashlight would come in handy, but if you don't have one, fear not--there's still hope for a light source. If you have a normal wooden pencil and speakers in your car, you have everything you need to make an emergency light.
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Instructions
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Split the pencil in half lengthwise so you can pull out the lead in one piece. The easiest way to do this is to slowly close the car door on the pencil until it begins to crack. Pull the two halves apart once the crack forms.
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Pull out the pencil lead in one piece if possible. Break the lead into 1-inch pieces.
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Pull out as much speaker wire from your car as possible. Rear speakers are generally easier to get at than the front speakers inside of the door. If you do not have a knife or scissors, you can cut the wire with a key.
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Split the two halves of the wire. Wrap one part of the wire to the side of a piece of lead. Wrap the other part of the wire to the opposite side of the lead. The bare wire must touch the lead for this to work.
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Split the other end of the wire. Attach one part of the wire to the positive terminal on the car battery. Attach the other part to the negative terminal. The bare wire must also be touching the metal on the terminals.
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The lead will light up within a few seconds of attaching the wire to the battery. A 1-inch piece of lead with illuminate for up to four minutes. An entire pencil could provide over 20 minutes of light.
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Tips & Warnings
The lead lets off fumes when it lights up. Do not inhale these fumes. The lead burns at a high temperature. Be cautious when handling it.
