Grade 5 Science Project

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PS-RagE

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So my wife tells me this year it is my turn to help my 10 year old daughter with her science project. Last year, she decided to test to see if 30% less sugar Froot Loops actually had 30% less sugar (they do). Only problem with that chemistry experiment, is both her parents are communications technicians! (wife is telecom and I am RF) So this year I told her, there must a flow of electrons! :D

So to keep it somewhat simple, we decided to go with experimenting with high voltage and build a Jacobs Ladder.

What? Doesn't everyone send their 10 year old off to school with 12kV?? :eek:

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That is a 100:1 step-up transformer.

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I spent much of the last week constructing this case to keep little fingers away from the arc and also to keep it from setting fire to anything.

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Some long exposures of the arc. It has a real cool growl as it travels.

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The neat thing is the presentation of her project is not really going to be about the hardware but about the arc itself and how this 12kV converts the air to plasma (i.e. particle physics).

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Awesome. I think my 5th grade project involved something stupid, like plants.

I can never think of experiments in a natural science class. :eek:
 
That's pretty hardcore for a 5th grade science project. :) I made a vodka-bottle-capacitor bank for my jacobs ladder, and it makes the arc fatter and MUCH louder. I might have to fire that thing up tonight. :D
 
Nice project...I'm in 10th grade and my most recent project was flipping a coin 20 times and recording the data :rolleyes:
 
My wife scavanged it from a clothing store that was moving locations.
 
[H]Opterown said:
Nice project...I'm in 10th grade and my most recent project was flipping a coin 20 times and recording the data :rolleyes:
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I did the exact same thing last year in Grade 10... it's sad... we also made a "Ball Bearing Rollercoaster"

I had a Polish science teacher who can't pronounce about 50% of the words she says.
 
Thats so beautiful, it bought a tear to my eye...

Some sort of mesh in front of the arc might be good, esp for young kids... and finger in there would be messy.... :eek:
 
There is a sheet of 1/4" Lexan in front of the rods - that was the whole idea behind the display case
 
My science project consisted of which AA battery brand lasted the longest :rolleyes: It gave us an excuse to stay up all night and play videogames.
 
we also made a "Ball Bearing Rollercoaster"
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hahahaha we just made one of those in physics class (10th grade) it had to go through a 20cm loop and a 20cm hill. my group made ours out of knex, and the rail itself out of foam pipe insulation. Our labs in physics (and chemistry for that matter) are so much fun. Our latest chem lab involved taking the huge bottle from one of these and pouring a few mL of methanol inside and shaking it up. the increase of kinetic energy causes the methanol to evaporate, and the pressure to increase. Once it has all changed into a gas, you remove the cap of the bottle, and hold a barbecue lighter over it. The gas will rush out with a huge flame. The chem teachers call it the 'jet engine lab'
 
That's awesome!!
In my grade7 class I made a crane out of 1/2 x 1/2 pine - with all the cross pieces and everything. Was like 3' high & 3' across [edit]Figured it out... 3074.841 grams X 2.. 13.5 lbs[/edit] Could pick up these two solid hunks of steel... heavy suckers... about as much as a large shot-put ball. I'm proud :D
I wanna try making one out of steel... with motors and everything. That would be cool :p
 
back in my day, a science project consisted of a ping pong ball and a few wrapping paper cardboard tubes... and parents weren't allowed to help :(
 
Keep the transformer handy. Make a ozone generator for her sixth grade project. takes two minutes :)
 
[H]Opterown said:
Nice project...I'm in 10th grade and my most recent project was flipping a coin 20 times and recording the data :rolleyes:
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LOL I had to do that (only many more times) in a second year college course. :mad:

Word of advice: If you have any inkling of brainpower, do not take psychology.
 
Well, we didn't win :(

She did real well in front of her classmates but choked for the judges
 
Dunno, but when you've entered something that your dad obviously made, your presentation and understanding of the subject is vital
 
PS-RagE said:
Dunno, but when you've entered something that your dad obviously made, your presentation and understanding of the subject is vital
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it still is a great experience for her...

I would have loved for my family to have made something like that for my projects.
 
PS-RagE said:
Dunno, but when you've entered something that your dad obviously made, your presentation and understanding of the subject is vital
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ouch... well, good luck next year. :D
 
[H]Opterown said:
Nice project...I'm in 10th grade and my most recent project was flipping a coin 20 times and recording the data :rolleyes:
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LOL, who uses actual coins anymore? In math class we just use a calculator, can get hundreds of results in minutes.....

Sweet science project BTW, my 8th grade project consisted of which type of computer mouse works best.... :eek: Yeah.... real lame.... :rolleyes:
 
If I was your daughter, I would keep that and use it when she gets to high school.


I wish I was kidding.

edit spelling.
 
I've got one of those as well... you're never too old to enjoy high voltage! I love the look on visitor's faces when they see it running nearly as much as I love the sight & sound of the arc itself :D

PS-RagE said:
The neat thing is the presentation of her project is not really going to be about the hardware but about the arc itself and how this 12kV converts the air to plasma (i.e. particle physics).
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The physics of a Jacob's Ladder is really pretty interesting... One would expect the path of least resistance to be the shortest point between the conducters, but surprise!

best 486 said:
take off the lexan and put a squrril between the rods and watch it cook
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:( You know, not only is animal cruelty recognized by the APA as a sign of mental disorder, there is also strong evidence to suggest links of animal torture to sexual offense and other more serious violent crimes. Wiki reference I'm hoping your sense of humor was just off that day.
 
agent420 said:
:( You know, not only is animal cruelty recognized by the APA as a sign of mental disorder, there is also strong evidence to suggest links of animal torture to sexual offense and other more serious violent crimes. Wiki reference I'm hoping your sense of humor was just off that day.
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actually its your sense of humour the one that seems out of whack... :rolleyes:
 
chinoquezada said:
actually its your sense of humour the one that seems out of whack... :rolleyes:
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How so? Roasting a squirrel with a 5th grade girls science project seems a little twisted.
 
pigpen said:
Keep the transformer handy. Make a ozone generator for her sixth grade project. takes two minutes :)
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Yep, it's the strangest stuff I've ever smelled.


We got bored one day and created a jacobs ladder with 2 coat hangers and a 50kv transformer from a old 15" monitor, It looked cool but not as cool as that. Also that growl is unforgettable. :D
 
WAY cool. I love it, I had no idea these were so easy to make. I always thought you needed a bunch of caps and some sort of controller for the transformer.

agent420 said:
!

:( You know, not only is animal cruelty recognized by the APA as a sign of mental disorder, there is also strong evidence to suggest links of animal torture to sexual offense and other more serious violent crimes. Wiki reference I'm hoping your sense of humor was just off that day.
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It is funny Wiki said so. :p

It is also funny how you didnt get up in arms when some one suggested licking it. (Violent human pain/suffering/death) But the thought of a squrril pop tart is reason to get upset.

Just to drive the squrill kabob joke home I would have suggested a little catch pan for the drippings. That way you can make some great gravey for your potato clock... :D
 
urbsnspices said:
WAY cool. I love it, I had no idea these were so easy to make. I always thought you needed a bunch of caps and some sort of controller for the transformer.
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I just posted a new thread about a site I discovered that has a lot of how-to projects, including a 5' tall Jacob's Ladder. A lot of Tesla Coils also use neon sign transformers, but they are more complex and do require caps and controllers; perhaps that is what you were thinking of?

Regarding the squirrel thing, I really don't want to make a big deal about it... Of course I understand black humor and satire. Your comment can be construed in that sense (though I might not personally find it amusing). The 'Licking it' comment can be construed that way as well. 'A Clockwork Orange' is in that vein. Something about the comment I referred to seemed to lack that and appeared to me to be more sadistic than sarcastic. Substitue 'baby' for 'squrril' (sic) in that comment and I find it equally disturbing.

In the large population of the internet, you can be sure that there exists a percentage of individuals who have those issues. Sorry, it just struck a nerve.

Edit - my apologies for taking the thread off course.
 
Helped my nephew build an oatmeal box radio for his project and when we got it to the school there wasn't an AM radio station close enough to make it work, but the kid pulled it off by being able to expain how it should work and why it didn't. Man I'm gettin old half the kids in his class didn't even know what an AM radio is.

73's
Dan
 
best [486] said:
hey i was trying to be funny but when i talk about killing a squrril in the most humain way possible [my aunt drowns squrrls {i really cant spell} and eats them] and i'm the crazy one!!! :confused: oh and you know the EPA kills more animals than anyone every year :D [starts twitching] but what about the poor sheepiez[stops twitching]
and it is the same as when a squrril gets run over and you think i ment a live squrill youre the crazy one
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Isn't it a bit early to be drunk? :p
 
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