Make Your Own Flashing Switch and Lighthouse

I am so impressed with the Discover and Do Science Experiment curriculum. My kids have done another really cool experiment following the video instructions. This week they made a flashing switch and a lighthouse.

First they taped strips of aluminum foil and endcaps with holes to an empty toilet paper roll. Then they folded up cardboard into a box shaped holder.

The pencil was slid through the holes in the holder and the endcaps to the toilet paper roll.

The wires were connected to a light and battery similar to this and then the pencil was turned. As the pencil spun in a circle the wires touched the foil and then the cardboard, causing the circuit to be complete and then incomplete and resulting in the flashing effect of the light.

Then they placed the light on top of an empty paper towel roll decorated to look like a lighthouse and the lighthouse was complete.

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