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How to Build a Toy Model Electric Generator

If you want to understand or teach about how electricity is generated, the best way to do it to build a generator. A full-scale gasoline-driven engine isn't required, the principal can be equally well explained with a few magnets, some cardboard and some coils of wire. In fact, in educational terms, the simpler you keep it the better as the fewer parts you have the more obvious it is to see what actually generates the power.

Things You'll Need

4 ceramic magnets, 1 inch by 2 inches
200 feet magnetic wire
Miniature light bulb
Cardboard strip 3 inches by 11 inches
3-inch nail
Sticky tape
String

Instructions

- 1
  Measure 3 inches along the long side of the cardboard and mark. Measure another inch, another 3 inches and another 1 inch and mark at each point. Draw straight lines across the strip at each mark.
- 2
  Bend the sheet on each line and fold the sheet up into a narrow box shape, open at each end. The box will have two square sides and two rectangular. One of the square sides will be double thickness. Stick a nail through the very center of the square side and out through the very center of the other side.
- 3
  Place two of the batteries together in a pair and the other together in a pair. Slide inside the box and position each pair on each opposite sides of the nail. They need to be able to spin freely on the nail. If not you need to refold the box.
- 4
  Leave a foot of spare wire at each end of the length of wire. Twist the wire around the cardboard box. You need to coil the whole thing length the box. Tape the free wire to the box. Strip the coating of the free ends of the wire and twist around the electrodes of the bulb, one on each.
- 5
  Grip the box and spin the nail as fast as you can. This will spin the magnets to produce a current. If you are struggling to get enough speed wrap the end of the nail in string and pull out the string to set the magnet spinning.

Childrens Toys