Experimental Electronics

CyclopsJnr wanted to do experiments after school.

First we explored combustion.

Together we learned that:
 - Paper burns
 - Bamboo skewers burn, even when not the item under test
 - Plastic burns
 - Blu-tac doesn't really burn but goes flaky with a runny centre
 - Chalk doesn't burn, but changes colour slightly.

Then we played with his "Hotwires" set.  He made several circuits with bulbs, one that used a photosensitive resistor to control a LED (via a transistor) and his favourite, a circuit with a motor that launches a spinner into the air.  Trying to catch it is even more fun than just watching it ascend to the ceiling, spin pinned there for a while, then slowly drift down again.

He went round and played at our new neighbours house briefly too - they have a kid just his age which is nice for him!