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Graphite Circuit: An Electricity Science Experiment with just 3 items

By January 19, 2024January 23rd, 2024No Comments

graphite circuit science experiment

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?

Make an Electric Circuit with a Graphite Pencil

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!

Supplies

  • 1 Graphite Art Pencil
  • Paper
  • Tape
  • Mini LED Light Bulb
  • 9V Battery

Instructions

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!

graphite pencil experiment first step
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!
graphite pencil experiment in progress

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?

successful result with graphite circuit science experiment

How does this Electrical Graphite Circuit Work?

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!

graphite pencil experiment connection

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Calling all kids who dream of flying someday! Play with flight and learn about flying, thrust, and air resistance with our Soaring into Flight Discovery Box! Learn about airplanes and hovercraft design and how to tinker with flying machines to make them fly best through the sky. Includes the following projects: Homemade Hovercraft, Bernoulli’s Experiment, Wooden Airplane Kit, Glider Kit, DIY Paper Airplane Kit (with 3 different designs), and Dragonfly Spinner KitComes with a 12-page S.T.E.A.M. magazine all full of comics, games, puzzles, and more aerodynamics learning opportunities. This hands-on box celebrates thinking, questioning, and original creation with fun and creative projects that will have everyone tinkering and playing long afterward. For ages 4+.

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