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Snap circuits green alternative energy kit

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Snap Circuits Green Alternative Energy kit from Elenco has over 100 activities for exploring electric circuits and how to produce power from renewable sources. The Snap Circuits concept is such a great one for introducing circuits to children. Instead of wires, alligator clips, and battery holders, or breadboards, the Snap Circuit kits come with a plastic grid with knobs. All the electrical components have holes that snap onto the knobs. Connections are made with plastic snap connectors of different lengths. This removes one of the issues of working with electric circuits with children.Snap Circuits Green has over 100 activities for learning about renewable energy. Includes solar, wind, water, motor, radio, LED lights, and radio.

Safety note: Be sure to explain safety precautions to children. These experiments involve electricity and heat. Eye and skin protection should be used. When using an electric light, such as 100-watt incandescent bulb or halogen, be careful as you experiment ­ they can produce enough heat to burn your skin or the solar panel.

Disclaimer: All information provided on this site is for entertainment and education purposes only. Using any information from thecasabouquet.com is at your own risk.

Affiliate links:  if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

resistor-circuit

Traditional circuit building with resistors, alligator wires, battery, multimeter

The plastic grid and the straight connectors in this alternative energy kit help children visualize the circuit for drawing circuit diagrams. After working with Snap Circuits Green, graduating to building circuits from diagrams with normal electrical components is a “snap”! 😉

Snap Circuits Green comes with a rechargeable battery, a hand crank, solar cell, capacitor, red and yellow LED lights, electrodes for liquid experiments, motor, wind turbine, multimeter, radio, switches, and clock. Two books are included: one explains renewable or alternative energy, the other is handbook for building circuits with the kit. The project directions are illustrated and tell you exactly what to do.snap-circuits - 3

We added questions to be answered with the projects to encourage more exploration by the children. Four children could share one kit if they are given roles to keep everyone involved. Remember, the person with the tools has the power! I’m presenting here a set of activities that should take about an hour.

Instructions for snap circuits green kit

Brainstorm with students about circuits and how they work. Probe students for their ideas about how electricity flows in a circuit and how it electricity is measured. Discuss some ways to represent circuits visually.

Complete the following projects in the Snap Circuit kit by reading all explanations and instructions then building the circuits according to the manual. Answer each question for the projects as you finish each circuit. Pay close attention to the images in the manual when building your circuit, make sure arrows of your circuit pieces match those of the pieces in the image as well as the switch setting on the meter (5V, 0.5mA, 50mA).

If your battery begins to lose power, you can use project 1 to hand crank or project 3 to use the solar panel to charge the battery.snap-circuits - 9

  • Project #14 Electric circuit: Build a circuit with the battery, switch, and red LED. How does the flow of electricity compare to water flow in pipes? Draw a circuit diagram of this circuit.
  • Project #15 Close the door: Build a circuit with the battery, two switches, red LED, and yellow LED. When you build the circuit and switch the slide switch to the left what happens? As you press the button switch is the circuit open or closed? Draw the symbol for: OPEN switch (Off) and CLOSED switch (On). What are the possible ways to light the LEDs? Explain.
  • Project #17 Voltage & current: Build a circuit with the battery, button switch, and multimeter (5V setting). What is the power (in watts) of the circuit if the current is 2 amps and the voltage is 3.5 volts?
  • Project #18 Light emitting diode: Build a circuit with the battery, multimeter (50 mA setting), red and yellow LEDs, and both switches. Measure the current through each LED. Switch the multimeter to 5V and measure the voltages for each LED. What differences did you notice between the Red LED and the Yellow LED? What does LED stand for? Research to find out more about how LEDs work.
  • Project #19 Resistors: Build a circuit with the battery, both switches, multimeter, and pivot stand with resistors. Set the multimeter as directed for each resistor. Measure the current through each resistor. Why does each resistor allow a different current through? What is wrong with this statement – “47Ω resistor has a higher resistance than a 10KΩ resistor because 47 is a higher number than 10K”. What does a resistor do to the flow of current through a circuit?
  • Project #22 Capacitor: Build a circuit with the battery, multimeter, both switches, and red LED. Once you make the circuit, what happens to the LED and the multimeter when you flip the switch back and forth between positions B and C? Why does the multimeter show a decrease in current when the switch remains in position C for 3 seconds? What is the role of a capacitor? Could a capacitor be used to store energy from a solar panel or a wind turbine? Follow the directions to measure discharge current.
  • Project #31 Battery load: Build a circuit with the battery, multimeter, slide switch, motor with fan, red and yellow LEDs, and hand crank. Find the voltage of the circuit with switch at position C. Find the voltage with switch at position B. What happens if the battery in the circuit is a weak battery (low on charge)?snap-circuits - 6

If some children need more to do, projects 81, 82, and 83 extend the circuit work into using the solar panel to recharge the battery and power the clock and LEDs.

Supplies

What is the science?

Content: electricity, electric circuits, electromagnetic radiation, light, photovoltaic cell, semiconductors, light emitting diodes, hydro power, wind power, alternative energy

An electric circuit has wires, components, and a power source in a closed path that allows electricity to flow. A switch is a component of a circuit that can interrupt or change the flow of electricity. Current is electrons flowing between two points having a difference in voltage. A resistor is a device that creates resistance to current flow in a circuit. A capacitor has two metal plates with a separation and can store electricity. Voltage is also known as electric potential and measures the work that has to be done to move a quantity of charge around the circuit.Snap Circuits Green has over 100 activities for learning about renewable energy. Includes solar, wind, water, motor, radio, LED lights, and radio.

Resource links

Let’s talk story

Thanks to my colleagues Erik Schettig, Tom Nudell, Jorge Pacheco, Judy Sisouvong, and Melaine Rickard for their work on this activity. So many activities can be done with this kit. Children really like the appealing design of the components. The kit provides an easy, friendly introduction to electricity. So many children have not had a chance to explore electricity at home or even at school, I love having a good way to start that exploration!

I’ll be looking for comments below, or contact me at lisa [at] thecasabouquet[dot]com.horizontal bar with plumeria


Solar energy activity – solar panel & motor

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Use the sun’s power for this solar energy activity. Solar panels use semiconductor material that converts light energy to electricity. An electric motor helps you to see the electricity being produced!Solar energy activity for learning about renewable energy uses a small solar panel and motor. Explore the angle and shading the panel for effect on output.

Safety note: Be sure to explain safety precautions to children. Solar energy activity involves electricity and heat. Eye and skin protection should be used. When using an electric light, such as 100-watt incandescent bulb or halogen, be careful as you experiment ­ they can produce enough heat to burn your skin or the solar panel.

Disclaimer: All information provided on this site is for entertainment and education purposes only. Using any information from thecasabouquet.com is at your own risk.

Affiliate links:  if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Instructions for solar energy activity

  • Insert the motor into the plastic holder. You may need to use a screwdriver to adjust the “belt” around the center of the motor.Solar energy activity for learning about renewable energy uses a small solar panel and motor. Explore the angle and shading the panel for effect on output.
  • Attach the fan blade to the motor.
  • The solar panel should be set up for 1.5 volts at 300 milliamps. On the back of the panel, use the jumper wires with loops to attach, from left to right, terminal 1 & 3, 2 & 4, 3 &5, and 4 & 6.solar-panel - 8
  • Use the wire loops from the motor to attach at terminals 1 and 2.
  • Assemble the angle stand and base with the solar panel. Expose the solar panel to sunlight. Does the motor spin the fan?
  • Try to spin the fan with a 100-watt incandescent bulb or a halogen light. Does the motor spin the fan? How many inches from the panel does the light need to be?

Make a chart for measurements you will make for your light sources. Does the distance from the light affect the operation of the motor? Does the angle of the panel to the light affect the motor? Use a protractor and ruler to take measurements. Try 0o, 30o, 45o, and 60o.

What happens if you cover part of the panel? What percent of the panel should be uncovered for the motor to run?

Explain how the position and angle relevant to the sun can increase the energy produced by a solar panel.

Explain how tracking systems are used in some solar panels to face the sun at the most beneficial angle during the day (cost effectiveness is an issue with tracking systems).

Explain how a small obstacle (tree, cloud cover) can significantly impact the energy harvested by a solar panel, and how site location is extremely important in designing solar panel farms.

What are some methods for storing the electricity made by a solar panel during the day?

Supplies for solar energy activity

  • Solar energy kit
    • Solar panel with 3 1.5 volt 100mA photovoltaic cells
    • Hobby motor
    • Fan blade
    • Jumper wires
  • 1/8″ Phillips screwdriver
  • White cardstock or large index card
  • Protractor
  • Ruler
  • Desk lamp or shop light
  • 100-watt incandescent bulb or halogen desk lamp
  • (optional) double-sided tape
  • paper or notebook for recording results, pensolar-panel - 9

What is the science?

Content: electricity, electric circuits, electromagnetic radiation, light, photovoltaic cell, semiconductors

Circuits in semiconductors are a dominant part of modern life. And those start off with making crystals of silicon or other semiconductors. Solar panels are devices built upon the original development of silicon wafers, along with computer chips, the IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor), and LEDs.

Solar energy converted to electricity in solar panels can be used to power many household and industrial appliances. Issues include storage of electricity (so it can be used on cloudy days or at night), finding the best angle to catch the sun, and making the panels and their installation more affordable. Solar panels provide clean and quiet power and have no moving parts.

Resource links

Let’s talk story

My colleague POG introduced me to the great educational products from Elenco. Electricity topics aren’t always taught in school and I loved finding people that were making just the right supplies for kids. Over the years I had tried less expensive solar panels, only to have to keep replacing them after wear and tear with the children. Once I switched to this solar kit, we stopped having problems! This kit also includes an LED light bulb and music speaker. Children are very interested in the future of the planet and this activity lets them get hands-on experience with a solar panel.

I’ll be looking for comments below, or contact me at lisa [at] casabouquet[dot]com.

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Solar robot activity – frog and grasshopper

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Solar robot activity introduces children to building a kit and experimenting with solar energy. Simple kits to build are the solar frog and grasshopper.Solar robot activity uses tiny solar panels to make a frog jump and a grasshopper hop. Kids learn building from a kit, gears, and solar energy!

Safety note: Be sure to explain safety precautions to children. This solar robot activity has very small parts. Eye protection should be used. Disclaimer: All information provided on this site is for entertainment and education purposes only. Using any information from thecasabouquet.com is at your own risk.

Instructions

For the solar robot frog robot mini solar kit:

  • Carefully take out the parts and instructions from the box. Find all the parts on the Parts List.solar-frog-parts
  • Organize all the parts for the steps in the Assembly Instruction. I used a dollar store ice cube tray to place the parts for steps 1 through 19.solar-frog-organizing
  • Put the solar panel in the sun or under a halogen lamp to make sure the motor operates.
  • The green plastic parts are numbered on the plastic. Be sure to keep them organized as you twist them off the plastic.
  • Follow the assembly instructions carefully in order. It is important that the gears touch each other and rotate together when moved.solar-frog-gears
  • Take your time especially when you get to step 12 where the two halves of the frog click together. Assembling an entire working frog can take an hour or more.solar-frog-click
  • Once the frog is completed, take it outside and watch it go! If it doesn’t move, but you can hear the motor turning, you may have to take it apart and go back to step 10.solar-frog-closeup

You can try racing your frog against your classmates’ frogs. Do they move in a straight line? Along with trying a straight race track, you might try making a bullseye shape on the sidewalk with painters tape. The frogs could all start in the center and you can time how long it takes to get out. Then you can try racing frogs against grasshoppers!

What happens if you cover part of the solar panel? What percent of the panel should be uncovered for the frog to hop?

Affiliate links: if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Supplies for solar robot activity

Tips for teachers: check your students’ solar robot assembly before they do step 12. You might be able to do some trouble-shooting before the screws are put in.

What is the science?

Content: electricity, electric circuits, photovoltaic cell, engineering, semiconductors, simple machines, gears

Solar panels are made of circuits made with semiconductor material. Solar energy converted to electricity in solar panels can be used to power many household and industrial appliances. Issues include storage of electricity (so it can be used on cloudy days or at night), finding the best angle to catch the sun, and making the panels and their installation more affordable. Solar panels provide clean and quiet power and have no moving parts.

Gears teeth are fit together so that when one turns, so does the other. Small gears turn quicker with less force than larger slower moving gears. A system of gears can greatly increase the force available from a machine.

Resource links

Let’s talk story

Especially with building the frog, children can become quite frustrated. They have to hold tiny gears in place, fit the motor into a very small space, and fit everything together so the parts click. I always ordered a few extra robots for this activity: if students couldn’t handle the frog, they could try the grasshopper. I have seen too many children who have never gotten a chance to build anything or follow written assembly directions. I think this is an important exercise for learning patience, perseverance, and troubleshooting, traits that are so important in the engineering workplace. And I liked being able to let the children take their robots home as a symbol of accomplishment.

I’ll be looking for comments below, or contact me at lisa [at] casabouquet[dot]com.

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