Unfolding the mysteries of electromagnetic induction…this could be the most important AwesomeShop yet!
Today, we taught the makers how to produce their own electricity by making an ultra simple generators out of magnets, a bolt, a hand-wound coil of enameled wire, and a drill. This hands-on way of explaining the functionality of a generator with the simplest ingredients possible seemed quite effective.
We also explained the difference between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) by simulating an electronic circuit using people. We all gathered ’round in a Cumbaya circle of sorts, and pretended that we were electrons moving back and forth in the case of AC, and in one direction in the case of DC. I had been attempting to explain AC and DC using whiteboard diagrams, but I think that this proved to be a much better way of doing so. I plan on using the “people as parts” method of explaining electronic concepts in the future.
