Science is pretty neat, especially this one where we are making a graphite circuit. We are going to put our electricity science to the test and see if we can make a closed circuit and turn the light bulb on with using just a battery, pencil, and light. Are you in?
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We’re learning all about electricity science today at Green Kid Crafts. Did you know you can make a circuit of electricity using a graphite drawing pencil? This might be one of the coolest science activities we’ve shared because the possibilities are endless! You can draw anything from a circle to a tree; just use your imagination!
Plan your graphite circuit design on a piece of paper. You can draw a shape to start, adding the graphite later. Be sure to create a shape outline with two openings at each end. This is going to be crucial in making our graphite circuit!
Create a thick line of graphite over your shape. Add positive and negative symbols to the two open areas as guides. We colored the inside of the circle like the earth but you can draw other things too!
Tape the wires of your LED bulb to the graphite opening aligning the long wire with the positive side of the opening and the shorter wire with the negative side of the opening. Tape the bulb in an upright position. This is where those + and – symbols we drew earlier come in handy!
Place your 9v battery on the opposite end over the positive and negative sides of the graphite. The light bulb should light up! Ta-da! We have completed our graphite circuit and created an electrical current. Pretty dang awesome huh?
Electricity has the ability to flow from one place to another along a path. A circuit is a closed path from one place to another like a loop. We’re creating an electrical circuit with the graphite, light bulb, and battery.
The graphite acts as a path for the electrical energy. When the battery is placed on the graphite, energy flows from the battery, along the graphite path, through the wires on the light bulb, continuing back to the battery completing the circuit. If the battery is removed, the circuit is broken. This is also true if you remove the light bulb. We use the light bulb to show us the electricity that is flowing along the path.
Want to know more about electrical currents? Check this out!
Here are some historical facts about graphite being used as an electrical conductor:
Discovery of Conductivity: Graphite's conductivity was discovered in the late 18th century. In , German scientist Abraham Gottlob Werner observed that graphite conducts electricity, distinguishing it from other forms of carbon like diamond.
First Practical Use: The first practical application of graphite as an electrical conductor came in the early 19th century. In , English scientist John Frederic Daniell constructed the first practical electric motor using a battery, copper wire, and graphite rods as the conducting material.
Telegraphy: Graphite was also used in early telegraph systems. In the mid-19th century, when telegraphy was becoming widespread, graphite-coated wires were used as conductors in telegraph cables due to their conductivity and resistance to corrosion.
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Pencil Lead: While not an electrical conductor in the traditional sense, graphite's use in pencils is significant. Pencil "lead" is actually a mixture of graphite and clay, which creates a material that leaves a mark when applied to paper. This application became widespread in the 16th century and continues to be used today.
Modern Applications: Graphite's use as an electrical conductor has expanded significantly in modern times. It is used in various electronic devices such as batteries, fuel cells, and electrical contacts due to its high conductivity and thermal stability.
Graphene: Graphene, a single layer of graphite atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, exhibits exceptional electrical conductivity. Discovered in , graphene has the potential to revolutionize various industries, including electronics, due to its unique electrical properties.
Graphite's ability to conduct electricity arises from its unique atomic structure and the behavior of its electrons. Here's a detailed explanation:
Atomic Structure: Graphite is composed of carbon atoms arranged in layers, where each carbon atom is bonded to three neighboring carbon atoms in a planar hexagonal lattice. These layers are stacked on top of each other with weak van der Waals forces between them.
Delocalized Electrons: In the graphite structure, each carbon atom forms three strong covalent bonds with its neighboring carbon atoms within the layer. However, the fourth valence electron of each carbon atom remains uninvolved in bonding and is free to move within the structure. These delocalized electrons are not confined to individual atoms but are shared among many atoms within the layer.
Conduction Mechanism: When a voltage is applied across a graphite sample, it creates an electric field. The delocalized electrons, being free to move, respond to this electric field by drifting through the lattice. This movement of electrons constitutes an electric current.
Layered Structure: The layered structure of graphite plays a crucial role in its conductivity. While the electrons can move freely within a layer, the weak van der Waals forces between the layers prevent electrons from easily moving between adjacent layers. This results in a higher resistance in the direction perpendicular to the layers compared to within the layers.
Anisotropic Conductivity: Due to the layered structure, graphite exhibits anisotropic conductivity, meaning its conductivity varies depending on the direction of current flow. Graphite has much higher conductivity parallel to the layers (in-plane conductivity) than perpendicular to the layers (out-of-plane conductivity).
Temperature Dependence: The conductivity of graphite is also influenced by temperature. Generally, as temperature increases, the resistance of graphite decreases, leading to higher conductivity. This is due to increased thermal energy, which allows electrons to move more freely through the lattice.
Graphene: Graphene, a single layer of graphite, exhibits even higher conductivity due to its two-dimensional structure and absence of interlayer resistance. The delocalized electrons in graphene can move freely without encountering barriers between layers, resulting in exceptionally high electrical conductivity.
In summary, graphite's conductivity is a result of its layered structure, which allows for the movement of delocalized electrons within the layers in response to an applied electric field. This conductivity is influenced by factors such as temperature and direction of current flow.
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