Circuit Octopus

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Circuit Octopus

Learn to make a circuit while creating your own playdough octopus with light-up eyes.

Source: Sqishy Circuits https://squishycircuits.com/collections/projects

Kit Includes:

• playdough

• 9V battery

• LEDs

• clay

• battery holder with leads

Important!

Please read through the 9-volt battery safety guidelines before proceeding.

1. Roll a piece of (conductive) playdough into a ball. This will be the body of the octopus.

2. To make the arms, roll out 8 thin pieces of dough. Keep one half of the arm straight and create a coil with the other half. Do this for all 8 arms.

3. Arrange the octopus arms so that the straight portions come together in the center. Make sure the opening in the center can be covered by the body.

4. Cut the round ball for the body in half to create a top half and a bottom half. Place a thin piece of (insulating) clay on the top of the bottom half of the body. Then place the top half onto the clay to form a whole body.

5. Insert the long LED leg into the top portion of the body and the short leg into the bottom portion of the body.

6. Last, insert the battery into the battery holder, pushing the battery securely in place to connect with the terminals. Insert the red wire from the battery holder into the top half of the body and the black wire into the bottom half. Turn on the battery holder to light up your octopus!

Some things to think about:

• Why is playdough conductive, but clay isn't?

• What happens if you remove the insulating clay?

• Try using other objects in place of the clay to determine if they're insulators or conductors.

Know Your Terminology: Let's start with some basics

CIRCUIT: The path in which electrical currents flow. A completed circuit takes a circular form.

SHORT CIRCUIT: An electrical circuit in which a path of very low resistance has been created.

CONDUCTOR: A material or object that allows electrical current to flow through it.

INSULATOR: A material or object that does not allow electrical current to easily flow through it.

LED: A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor device that emits visible light when an electric current passes through it.

TERMINAL: A conductive surface that provides an electrical connection point.

For more information on electricity and electrical experiments, ask your librarian for book recommendations!