How to Make a Styrofoam Cup Flashlight
Before buying a flashlight, consider making your own with a Styrofoam cup. Conrad Hubert patented the first flashlight in 1898. Since then, flashlights have continued to evolve, most recently with the invention of LED flashlights. Many varieties of flashlights are sold throughout the world, and each design conforms to the needs of specific consumers. You can make your own flashlight and impress your friends with just a few materials.
Things You'll Need
- Duct tape
- 2 D-cell batteries
- Paper towel tube
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Brass fasteners
- Two 5-inch pieces of wire (copper bell)
- Paper clip
- Styrofoam cup
- Wire stripper
- 3-volt flashlight bulb
- Aluminum foil
- White glue
- Cardboard
Instructions
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1
Use duct tape to secure two D-cell batteries. Place the negative to the positive, and tape them together where they meet.
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2
Stand batteries next to a paper towel tube. Add ½ inch to the height of the batteries--measure and mark your cutting line on the tube with a pencil.
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3
Cut the paper towel tube with sharp scissors. Cut the tube across the pencil mark that you made when measuring the height of the batteries.
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4
Place the fasteners into the paper towel tube. The front side of the fasteners needs to face the outside of the tube. The distance between the fasteners should be no longer than the size of a paper clip.
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5
Loop one wire around one of the brass fasteners, and the other wire around the other brass fastener. Make each loop of wire wrap where the brass and fastener is connected. The wire needs to be inside the tube roll.
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6
Attach the paper clip to one of the brass fasteners. Latch the bottom of the paper clip to the fastener. This will be on the outside of the tube.
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7
Insert the batteries into the paper towel tube.
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8
Cut the Styrofoam cup in half. You will want to measure the cup to ensure that you cut it exactly in half.
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9
Poke a hole with a pencil into the bottom of the Styrofoam cup. Ensure that the hole is in the center of the cup and that it is large enough for the light bulb to fit through it.
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10
Pass one of the wires through the hole in the Styrofoam cup. Use a wire stripper to remove 1 inch of the plastic from the ends of both the wires.
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11
Tape the end of one wire to the light bulb. Tape the other wire end to the negative side of your D cell battery.
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12
Cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to fit inside the Styrofoam cup. Glue the aluminum foil to the Styrofoam cup, and remove any excess foil.
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13
Tape the cup to the top of your paper towel tube.
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14
Trace the bottom of the paper towel tube on a piece of cardboard. Cut out a circle, and secure it to the bottom of the paper towel tube.
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15
Place the light bulb to the positive side of the battery. Ensure that you secure the flashlight through the whole in the top of your Styrofoam cup. Turn the paper clip to turn on your flashlight.
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Tips & Warnings
Test out the materials before you assemble the flashlight to ensure that they work properly.
Follow the wiring instructions carefully to prevent personal injury.
