68

Lesson 68 of 84 ยท Simple Electricity

Experimentโญ 30 XPโšก Spark Lab

Simple Machines: The Lever (Part 3)

๐ŸงชLab Brief #68

Simple Electricity.

๐ŸŽฏ Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

โšก The twist

The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.

๐Ÿคฏ

Mind = Blown

๐Ÿ”ฅ A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.

๐Ÿ”ฎ

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: what happens if you double the force?

What You'll Learn

Simple machines make work easier by changing the direction or amount of force needed. The six simple machines are lever, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, screw, and wheel and axle.

Key Words

  • speed
  • direction
  • force

Materials Needed

  • spring scale
  • stopwatch
  • pencils
  • toy cars
  • ramps
  • string

Safety First

  • Do not mix unknown chemicals together.
  • Tie back long hair before starting the experiment.

Steps

Step 1 โ€” Read

Read about Simple Electricity and write down three key facts.

Step 2 โ€” Do

Build a simple motor using a battery, magnet, wire, and paper clip supports. Observe how electromagnetic forces create rotation.

Step 3 โ€” Observe

Compare the before and after states.

Step 4 โ€” Record

Write your conclusion: did the results match your hypothesis? What would you change next time?

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

Which is NOT a simple machine?

๐ŸŒ

Where you see this in real life

You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.

๐Ÿ†

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง

For the dinner table

โ€œShow me something at home that uses this kind of energy.โ€

๐ŸŽฏ

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

๐Ÿ’งShare card

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Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ

Checkout complete lesson on Simple Electricity for 3rd Grade

Get the full Simple Electricity track as a printable PDF โ€” all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.

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