Science Fair Project - Electrical Storm Globe

[electronicjuggalo]

Hey everybody, if you remember me, i was the kid that goes to Bay Path and was looking for ideas for a science fair project. Well, me and my friend Shaina have an idea and we need some help on how to alter it to make it better.

Project:
We are going to take a small globe, and put wires on both end, then fill it with about five-eighths of an inch of water. We will then connect it to a circuit that we make to test if the electrical current will go to the water, then to the other wire, thereby creating a miniature electrical storm, and completeing the circuit (of course we're gonna test the circuit to make sure it works first). After that we are going to try it with different liquids to see what changes it makes in measurements of voltage, current, and resistance, such as orange juice should make the current increase, due to the fact that OJ is very acidic. Can anyone give us some ideas on how to measure some of these? Some liquids? Saftey tips? Anything ele that might help us?

Thank you for any help, i will post feedback off of any information anyone gives me. I will also add your ETO Username on our project board so you will get credit for what you helped us with, and if you want us to put your real name instead or something like that, jus PM it to me.
Sincerly,



Travis and Shaina

 

[JimB]

Different liquids will conduct electricity by different amounts, that is true.

Are you intending to put the wires into the liquid, or have the wires above the liquid and let a spark jump from wire to water? (Hence the electrical storm).

If you are putting wires into the liquid you could also show that a thicker wire or more likely a metal plate, will pass more current through the liquid than a thin wire (because there is a greater surface area to the metal plate than the thin wire).

However, if you are trying to send sparks from the wire to the water, be aware that you need (about) 2500volts to make a spark jump 1mm.
So for a 1 inch spark you will need ????? volts. (You work it out).
If you are then trying to see the effect of different liquids, I think you will be dissapointed. The change in the current path due to the change in liquid will be so small compared to the air gap for the spark, you will be hard pushed to see the difference.

JimB

 

[audioguru]

Be careful.
It will take a dangerously high current to cause visible activity in a liquid. Then the electricity will break down the liquid by electroysis, making poisonous or explosive gasses. Ordinary water makes oxegen and hydrogen. One small spark and everything will be gone.

 

[electronicjuggalo]

o, well, i dont think my teacher will let us do that, thank you for giving us that tip or we would have just blown ourselves away, and you guys wouldnt hear the story unless we survived cause no one knows i am a member on this forum site, lol
well thank you well be thinking of something new and post a new thread, so keep a look out for us

have a nice life

~Travis and Shaina

 

[Hero999]

The hydrogen will recombine with oxygen to form water because it will be instantly ignited by the spark. I wouldn't worry about explosions since not enough gas will ever build up to cause a hazzard.

I recommend an old TV flyback transformer for the high voltage generator, the circuit can be found from Google.

 

[steev]

well for science projects i think project like Vandegraff Generator will be graet.it clearly expains things about static electricity.and its quite safe.u can do some funny things with little amount(large will be dangerous) of static electricity.search for Vandegraff Generator,and built one.its easy...