Shopping List for Unit 12

This Unit is a bit different from the rest. While we usually try to keep the materials simple for you, some of these materials are not your everyday items. The projects in this unit are more intensive and expensive – you’ll want to pick which ones you want to do before buying the materials.

We’ve broken the materials down in this list by project, so you’ll find overlap between the different projects.  Most projects take a bit of time to do – they’re not like the quick 5-minute activities you have seen so far.

How the shopping list works: The first lesson are simpler and less expensive projects. The second lesson includes mid-priced projects for more K-8th students, and higher-end items (like the fuel cell and BEAM robots) which are appropriate for upper grades (5th-12th). We’ll be re-using items from Units 10 and 11 here, like motors, lights, battery packs, wires, and electrical components. If you already have these parts, simply scratch them off this list.

Shopping List for Unit 12: Alternative Energy Click here for Shopping List for Unit 12.

• Bags (zipper-close and plastic)
• balloon
• batteries, AA-size
• bottle, plastic two-liter
• bowl, plastic
• clay, modeling
• corn syrup
• measuring cups and spoons
• cups (paper, plastic, and Styrofoam)
• earphone or headset
• Epsom salt
• Small electric fan
• Flowerpot with saucer (unglazed ceramic)
• Aluminum foil
• funnel
• grass clippings, freshly cut
• hole punch
• ice chest or cooler or freezer
• glass jars or water glass
• lamp with incandescent bulb
• Lysol spray
• magnifying lens
• match or lighter
• mitt, insulated
• newspaper
• oven
• black paint with paintbrush or black spray paint
• paper clips
• white copy paper
• peanut (shelled)
• penny
• aluminum pie pan
• pinwheel
• plate
• pliers
• shoebox
• silicon solar cell
• sink
• aluminum
• soft drink can
• spoons
• straw
• string
• tape
• tea bags
• thermometer
• tomato juice
• watch or clock
• water
• wires with alligator clips

Lesson 2 Experiments:

Solar Battery

• ½ sq. foot of copper flashing sheet (check the scrap bin at a hardware store)
• Alligator clip leads (RS#278-1156)
• Multimeter (Radio Shack #22-810)
• Electric stove (not gas)
• Large plastic 2L soda bottle
• ¼ cup salt
• Sandpaper & sheet metal shears

Solar Oven

• Two large sheets of poster board (black is best)
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic wrap
• Black construction paper
• Cardboard box
• Pizza box (clean!)
• Tape & scissors
• Reusable plastic baggies
• Cookie dough (your favorite)

Marshmallow Roaster

• 7×10” page magnifier (Fresnel lens)
• Cardboard box, about a 10” cube
• Aluminum foil
• Hot glue, razor, scissors, tape
• Wooden skewers (BBQ-style)
• Chocolate, marshmallows, & graham crackers

BristleBot

• Old toothbrush
• Tiny vibrator motor from Radio Shack or Solorbotics (you can also rip one out of an old cell phone) or use a disk motor
• Small watch battery

Solar Vehicles

• Multimeter (Radio Shack #22-810)
• Solar Project Kit (Radio Shack #277-1201) or other solar cell with motor (usually sold in hobby stores) with gear set (one of the gears should fit onto your motor shaft)
• Foam block (about 6” long)
• 2 straws (optional)
• 2 wooden skewers (optional)
• 4 milk jug lids or film can tops

Wind Turbine

• A digital Multimeter (Radio Shack #22-810)
• Alligator clip leads (RS#278-1156)
• 1.5-3V DC Motor (RS #273-223)
• 9-18VDC Motor (RS #273-256)
• Bi-polar LED (RS #276-012)
• Foam block (about 6” long)
• Propeller from old toy or cheap fan

Fruit Batteries

• Apple, lemon, grapefruit, lime, potato, or other fruit/vegetable
• Digital multimeter (Radio Shack #22-810)
• Alligator wires (RS #278-1156)
• Zinc plate or galvanized nail
• Copper plate (1/2” x 2”) or shiny copper penny (you can scrub a tarnished penny with ketchup to shine it up)

Steamboats

• Copper tubing (1/8”-1/4” dia x 12” long)
• Votive candle
• Foam block
• Scissors or razor (with adult help)
• Bathtub

For grades 9-12

Stirling Engine

• three soft drink aluminum cans (Pepsi work best because of their unique rim shape)
• old inner tube from a bicycle
• super glue and instant-dry accelerator
• electrical wire (3-conductor solid 14g copper wire)
• water bottle cap
• 7-9″ latex balloon
• fishing line (we used 15 lb. test, but any strength will work fine)
• 3 old CDs
• Penny
• Nylon bushing
• Votive candle and lighter
• Wooden base and wood screws (optional)
• Tools: tin snips or stainless steel scissors, pliers, can opener, hammer, drill and 1/16” bit, wire cutters, razor, push pin, electrical tape, permanent marker, swiss army knife

Crystal Radio

• Toilet paper tube
• Magnet wire (Radio Shack part #278-1345)
• Germanium diode (1N34A) (Radio Shack part #276-1123)
• 4.7k-ohm resistor (Radio Shack part #271-1330)
• Alligator clip test leads (Radio Shack part #278-1157)
• 100’ stranded insulated wire (for the antenna)
• Scrap of cardboard
• Brass fasteners (3-4)
• Telephone handset or get a crystal earphone from  C. Crane (part #EKI) – they also carry the germanium diode if Radio Shack doesn’t have it.

Fuel Cells

Fuel Cell Car Kit (Item# KT-FUELCCK from www.hometrainingtools.com). This kit is a bit expensive, but if you want to build a car that runs entirely from sunlight and water, this is the one you want to get.  The company that makes this particular model also sells the conversion kits for (real!) cars. Great starter kit for kids interested in fuel cell technology – after kids get the hang of how it works, they can up the power and perhaps use it on a go-cart?

Beam Robots

• Tiny eccentric motor from Radio Shack or Solorbotics (you can also rip one out of an old cell phone)
• Vibrating disk motor from Radio Shack or Solarbotics (you can also rip one out of an old cell phone)
• Two 2.2k-Ohm resistors from Radio Shack or Solarbotics
• Six 4700 μf electrolytic capacitors
• Two PNP 3906 transistors from Radio Shack or Solarbotics (get a few extras, as these are the first things to burn out)
• Twp NPN 3904 transistors from Radio Shack or Solarbotics (get a few extras, as these are the first things to burn out)
• Two voltage triggers from Solarbotics (get the 1380-G or J or N)
• Two 37x33mm solar cells from Solarbotics (we won’t be using the circuit on the back – just the solar cell)
• Paper clips (a few of each: small and large)
• Hot glue gun, soldering iron with solder, electrical tape
• Pliers, wire cutters, diagonal cutters (if you have them)

Optional Beam Robots: After you’ve build the BEAM robots above, you can move onto more advanced designs.  Here’s the parts you’ll need for them:

• Solar Roller
• Trimet
• Miniball