The Energy Ball! -12 Questions

Hello again! As of the 10th of September, our class received envolopes comprised of happy faces :)!! On the happy faces were questions asked about a special "$130" ping pong ball. The questions in order are:

1. Can you make the energy ball work? What do you think makes the ball flash and hum?

Yes, we definitely made the energy ball work. Since the energy ball had two strands of metals, when we connected our fingers to both sides, the ball started flashing and humming. The reason is that we worked as a conductor to transfer electrons over to the other side, which therefore, completed the circuit.

2. Why do you have to touch both metal contacts to make the ball work?

The electrons within the circuit have to physically transfer over to the other side of the ball. If we ended up only touching one side, we would take in the electrons, but they will not carry towards the load.

3. Will the ball light up if you connect the contacts with any other material?

As long as the material is a conductor (e.g. copper), it should work just fine.

4. Which material will make the energy ball work? Test your hypothesis.

At first we believed most metals would work. We tested the hypothesis with a spoon which we bended to follow the curvature of the ball. It ended up working nicely.

5. This ball does not work on certain individuals, what could cause this to happen?

We believed that since a high percentage of the human body is water, it was the moisture within our skin which conducted the electricity. Therefore, I believe the ball would not work with people with dry skin. Also, we tested whether the ball would work if we connected it with our knuckles. In the end, it didn't work. That means perhaps people suffering from anorexia or perhaps just REALLY bony people would not be able to function the ball properly. The reason is because there is little moisture in the bone and when there isn't enough skin to cover it, it will not conduct as well.

6. Can you make the energy ball work with all 5-6 individuals in your group? Will it work with your class?

It worked with our entire group connecting hands. At the end, it also worked while attempting the class challenge. (Even though Mr.Chung was disappointed with the involvement of many classmates D:)

7. What kind of circuit can you form with one energy ball?

My group successfully created a simple circuit with the lone ball. As we connected hands, it allowed the power supply to transfer electrons over to the load. As soon as one person let go, it acted as a switch and the electron flow discontinued, resulting in an open circuit.

Series Circuit

8. Given two balls (two groups): can you create a circuit where both lights up?

Yes, there was a situation where while connecting two balls, both lit up. As long as a series circuit was produced (flow through a load onto another load), it would work.

9. What do you think will happen if one person lets go of the other person's hand?

As soon as the connection is terminated, the electron flow would stop and the circuit would seize to operate.

10. Does it matter who lets go?

In the series circuit, no, it won't matter who lets go because as long as someone does, the flow would stop. However, in a parallel circuit, it would depend which load will be disconnected, the corresponding load would stop working while the others will continue operating.

Parallel Circuit

11. Can you create a circuit where only one ball lights up?

It can be created, and once it is, the result would be a parallel circuit with one part of the circuit disconnected from only one ball.

12.What is the minimm number of people required to complete this?

It is very possible with only one person, although he would require quite flexible fingers...

SERIES vs. PARALLEL Circuits

A series circuit is one in which the loads are connected on a single path. The electrons then flow through a load into another load. A parallel circuit is one where they are connected side by side. In a series circuit, the flow is similar to the flow of a simple circuit, only producing energy to more loads. A parallel circuit is different however. The loads are seperated and they can be disconnected one by one unlike in a series circuit. For example, if there is a series circuit composed of 3 lightbulbs, there would be one switch (even if there was more, it would serve the same function) that once closed, would turn off all 3 lightbulbs. In a parallel circuit however, there could be seperate switches for each of the lightbulbs and when one is switched off, the others can still be powered.

Additional Information

-Lightbulbs in a series circuit would be brighter than those in a parallel circuit because rather than seperating electrons, all of them can move through each resistor.

-In a series circuit, if one resistor is disconnected the rest will also stop working because the electron flow would be nulled.

-In a house, a parallel circuit is used so one thing could be turned off while another stays on. Also, if a fuse was to break, only one section of the house would lack power.