Monday, 10 September 2012

Science Experiment : Paper Lantern



A lantern is a portable lighting device used to lighten broad areas. and it comes in various shapes and sizes.  Some lanterns are used for signaling, as 'torches', for religious purposes, decoration or as general light sources outdoors.  The simplest form of lantern can be made from paper and lighted using a simple electric circuit.




What Do I Need?
·         Wire strippers
·         Insulated wire
·         Flashlight bulbs
·         Bulb holder
·         AA battery
·         Battery holder
·         Tape (masking or electrical)
·         Double sided tape
·         Small screw driver
·         Chopsticks
·         Thread / dental floss
·         Scissors
·         Craft paper


What Do I Do?
1.    Make the frame of your lantern with the chopsticks.
2.    Design and create a simple electric circuit.
3.    Design a cover for the lantern frame.
4.   Place the electric circuit inside the lantern; cover the lantern frame with craft paper. 



Question:
·       If your lantern did not light up, what do you do to correct it?
·      How sure are you the problem is with the circuit you designed and created?
·   Is there any other community in Malaysia and in the world that uses lanterns for religious or cultural celebrations?


What’s Going On?
1. An electric current or electricity is a flow of microscopic particles called ELECTRONS flowing
through wires and electronic components.

Note:
It is similar to the flow of water through pipes and radiators.  As water is pushed through pipes by a pump, electric current is pushed through wires by a battery. 

2.  A basic law of the universe is that ‘like charges repel and unlike attract’.
  1. Two negatives will repel each other. 
  2. A negative and a positive will attract each other.

3.  An electron has a negative charge. 
  1. The negative (-ve) terminal of a battery will push negative electrons along a wire.
  2. The positive (+ve) terminal of a battery will attract negative electrons along a wire.

Electric current will therefore flow from the negative terminal of a battery, through the lamp, to the positive terminal.

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