Waterwheel Experiment
Assembly Instructions
- 1. You will need the following materials
- a. 1 electronics board
- b. 2 nine-volt batteries
- c. 1 wooden wheel
- d. 6 rectangular metal pieces
- e. 1 generator setup (electric motor attached to support structure) with 2
wires coming out
- f. 2 short cords with clips on both ends, (one red cord and one black cord)
- g. 1 water bottle with hole in the side
- h. 1 clear hose with a copper spout on one end and a plastic spout on the
other
- i. 1 large plastic tub
- 2. Put the 2 batteries in the battery holders on the electronics board.
- 3. Connect the two short cords with clips to the electronics board as
shown in the diagram.
- 4. Put the 6 metal pieces in the slits on the wooden wheel as shown in the
diagram. The metal pieces are the vanes of your water wheel.
- 5. Attach the wooden wheel to the generator by putting the shaft of the
generator into the hole in the center of the wooden wheel.
- 6. Connect each wire from the water wheel to one of the available clips,
making sure that the clips grab the metal of the wires (try to explain to
yourself why this has to be done).
- 7. Spin the wheel. If the lights on the electronics board do not light
up, spin it the other way. Remember the direction to spin it that causes
the lights to light up -- when you pour water on the wheel later, do it so
that the wheel spins in the same direction. If the lights do not light up
at all when you spin the wheel, ask an adult for help.
- 8. Put the one end of the clear hose into the hole in your water bottle.
- 9. Put your waterwheel in the plastic tub.
- 10. Fill your water bottle with water and let the water flow out of the
tube onto the vanes of your waterwheel. Answer the questions on your
Student Activity Sheet.