How to Teach Kids Electrical Currents

Kids will be more interested in hands-on learning.

An electrical current is a fairly simple concept that can be a bit difficult for kids to understand. Basically, an electric current can be described as the flow of electricity. Since this can seem like a vague concept, there is a better way to go about teaching kids about electrical currents than just explaining it. A much better way to go about it is to show them through a live demonstration of how an electrical current can move from one area to another to produce power.

Things You'll Need

• Lemon
• Large paperclip
• 18 gauge wire
• Wire cutters
• Multi-tester
• Light bulb

Instructions

1. Place a whole lemon on the table. Push your hand onto it gently and start to roll back and forth to loosen up the juices inside.

2. Insert a straightened, large paperclip inside the lemon. Only put it in about an inch.

3. Cut a piece of 18 gauge wire down to six inches using wire cutters. Insert this an inch into the lemon, as well, but be sure it's not touching the paperclip.

4. Attach the wire in the lemon and the paperclip to the wires on a multi-tester. This device will test the electrical currents being produced by the lemon.

5. Disconnect the wire and paperclip from the multi-tester and attach them instead to the base of a light bulb. The electric current from the lemon will now be able to light up the light bulb, demonstrating the strength of the current and its ability to produce power.

Tips & Warnings

• If one lemon does not produce a reading on the multi-tester, you can attach more lemons by preparing them the same way you did the first until an electric current is produced.

References

• Think Quest.org: Fun Experiments -- The Lemon Experiment