Some materials are better at conducting electricity than others. Assemble a set of materials to test for electrical conductivity. These could be aluminum foil, paper clips, rubber bands, string and wood. You will also need a 6-volt battery, a 6-volt light bulb with wire leads and three wire leads (one black, one yellow and one red). Connect one end of the black wire to the negative battery terminal and connect the other end to a light bulb lead. Connect one end of the red wire to the positive battery terminal. Connect one end of the yellow wire to the other light bulb lead. Take turns connecting each of the remaining wires to opposite ends of each piece of conducting material. Make a data table presenting information on how bright the light bulb grew with each type of material. Note which type produced the brightest bulb.
Create an experiment that determines whether the number of rubs of a balloon on wool determines how long the static charge will last. Blow up five balloons. Rub each balloon a different number of times against a wool blanket. Try five rubs for the first balloon, 10 for the second, 15 for the third, etc. After you have rubbed the balloon against the wool the desired number of times, stick the balloon to the wall and time how long it stays there. Record the results in a table. Does the number of rubs make a difference?
Anyone who has ever used a portable CD player or remote control has wondered what brand of battery is truly the best. Purchase several different kinds of batteries. Be sure they are all the same size, such as AA. Take turns playing a CD on repeat until each of the batteries dies. Record how long it takes for each brand to die and identify the best brand in the conclusion.
There is a wide range of kits available containing resistors, capacitors, transistors, integrated circuits, coils and lots of other electronic apparatuses. These kits typically allow users to create hundreds of projects, including light and sound effects, radios and fans while teaching them about the inner workings of electronic devices. They generally cost between $20 and $100, depending on the number of projects you want to be able to create.