Ball Experiment & Series/Parallel Circuits

On Sept 10, our class was presented with a strange "ping pong like" ball as well as an envelope containing 12 questions, each with happy faces on them. According to Mr. Chung, we were to follow the questions and conduct our own mini experiment. The ball had two metal areas and had the ability to light up if certain criteria were met. In the beginning, we had no idea what made the ball light up, but near the end of the experiment, we began to get a rough idea of the physics of the ball. Here are the twelve questions that we had to answer:

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


Yes, we were able to make the ball work. We think that the ball flashes and hums because it is in fact a circuit, and by touching the ball we somehow activated the circuit by transferring electrons.


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


Due to the fact that the ball is a circuit, if we were to only use one metal contact the circuit would not be completed. In other words, the current would not continue.

3. Will the ball light up if it touches any other material?

No. We experimented with many materials and we came to the conclusion that not all materials made the ball light up. However, the items that made the ball light up (my binder rings, the bottom of the table) all seemed to be metal based, in other words good conductors. Therefore, we believe that the ball only lights up if it has contact with metal based materials.

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

We found out while answering question 3 that metal based materials make the ball work. We tested this out and it indeed work for materials such as the binder rings and the bottom of the table.  

5. This ball does not work for certain individuals. What might cause this to happen?

From our experiment results, we believe that the ball does not work for some individuals due to the fact that they are missing or lacking some material. We think that this element might be iron or copper, or something in that region. I did some further research and found that the lack of iron in the blood can lead to an illness called iron-deficiency anemia, a disorder that is actually quite common. Perhaps people who suffer from this disorder would not be able to make the ball work.

6. Can you make the ball work with the 5-6 members in your group? Will it work with the entire class?

Yes, it will work, as long as the members all have physical contact with each other.


7. What kinds of circuits can you make with one energy ball?

We were able to make two types of circuits: simple and opened. To make the simple circuit, we just connected with everyone in the group. To create the opened circuit, one person simply lost contact with the group and therefore the ball failed to light up.

Diagram of an open circuit

8. Given two balls (two groups): Can you make both energy balls light up?

Yes, it was actually easier than we thought. We basically created a larger simple circuit; the general idea was the same. Everyone held each others pinkies and we made both balls light up.

9. What do you think would happen if one person in the group let go?

We think that the ball would fail to light up because the connection would be lost. The simple circuit would turn into an opened circuit.


10. Does it matter who lets go?

No, it doesn't matter because everyone is part of the connection. No matter who let's go, the connection will be lost.

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

Yes-we had to create a parallel circuit where one person had to let go. One ball lit up while the other ball failed.

12. What is the minimum number of people required to do this?

We determined that minimum number of people required to do this successfully would probably be four.

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What is the difference between a series circuit and a parallel circuit?

In a series circuit, the loads are connected one after another using only one path. In a parallel circuit, the loads are placed side by side. Both arrangements alter the way current act in parts of the circuit. The potential difference is also affected. In a series circuit, every device must be working properly in order for the circuit to work. If one device fails, the whole system will fail. In a parallel circuit, each device uses its own circuit and therefore if one device fails, the other devices should continue working properly.

You can also connect the two types of circuits and create a series-parallel circuit.

Here are some links regarding series and parallel circuits:

1.http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_5/1.html
2.http://www.ndt-ed.org/EducationResources/HighSchool/Electricity/seriesparallelcircuits.htm

Here is a video that I found quite helpful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8AZBR8Zz04