By: Sarah Trocolli

Father of electricity Nikola Tesla was known for being brilliant, quirky and driven in his pursuits to understand electricity, and after many experiments, Tesla eventually laid the ground work for the modern day Alternating Current electric supply system. As a tribute to Tesla and all the dads around the world, Mr. Electric® presents a few kid-friendly experiments exploring the basics of electricity for a fun Father’s Day activity. The kids can explore electrons, static electricity, voltaic batteries and other simple components of electricity – all under the safe supervision of their dads.

Level of difficulty: Easy

What you need: A dark room, fluorescent light bulb and a comb or woolen scarf.

What to do: Run the comb through your hair or through the wool scarf at least 20 times to let the electrons build on the comb. Then turn out the lights and hold the comb to the bottom of your florescent light bulb and watch the electrons charge the bulb. This is great for learning about electrons, and it can be a fun magic trick! For further explanation, click here.

Level of difficulty: Easy

What you need: Cornstarch, vegetable oil, mixing bowl, large spoon, balloon, and a measuring cup.

What to do: Blow up the balloon, tie it and then rub it on your hair. Mix a fourth cup of cornstarch and a fourth cup of vegetable oil into a mixing bowl, and then put the mixture on a spoon. Hold the spoon with the mixture on it near the balloon and watch the mixture gravitate towards the balloon. This experiment looks like a gooey monster stretching to touch the balloon, and it is a fun way to learn about static electricity! For further explanation, click here.  

Level of difficulty: Moderate

What you need: Distilled white vinegar, five pieces of copper wire, five galvanized nails, ice tray and one LED light

What to do: Wrap five nails with five pieces of copper wire and place them separately in the ice cube tray filled with vinegar. Create a circuit by placing the end of the copper wire not wrapped around the nail into the ice cube tray next to it until each section has one nail and one copper wire in it, and then place the LED light in the tray. You have just created a Voltaic battery! For further explanation, click here.

Level of difficulty: Challenging

What you need: Eight D-sized batteries, mason jar or other clear glass, electrical tape, pie pan, scissors, toilet paper tube, mechanical pencil refills and two sets of small alligator clips.

What to do: Connect the batteries positive to negative to create train of batteries. Place the toilet paper tube in the center of the pie pan and using electrical tape, attach the alligator clips and mechanical pencil refills to the tube. Place the mason jar/glass over the tube and connect the other end of the clips to the batteries. After the batteries have a few minutes to charge the circuit the mechanical refills will begin to glow and you will have a DIY light bulb. This is a great way to show that household items can be used in an innovative way. Exercise caution, as this experiment exerts heat and can cause the glass to become very warm. For further instruction, click here.

We hope these electrical experiments provide an enjoyable experience for dads and kids to spend quality time together while learning lots and having fun. Thank you to all the fathers who enlighten children and empower the thinkers of tomorrow. Happy Father’s Day from everyone at Mr. Electric!

If you want to take your lighting customization to the next level, try a new smart phone controlled LED light bulb. You can change this light bulb’s color temperature, along with its brightness, and even place it on a timer to help your kids learn how to fall asleep and wake up on their own.

3. Light Layers

Here’s where a bit more magic comes in. We always recommend using multiple light sources in whatever room you decorate. It adds visual interest, useful illumination for tasks, and helps make a space feel more inviting. In the the kids’ room, adding light layers the perfect opportunity to encourage self-expression.

As a DFW area electrician, providing electrical services throughout Plano, Garland, Richardson, and many other areas around Dallas and Ft. Worth, ElectricMan’s reputation has been built around professionalism, customer service, and reliable Home Electric Repair.  When you come across an electrical problem in your home, of course your first thought is “I need an electrician”, but which Dallas Electrician should you choose? With so many “fly by night” businesses around these days, how can you be sure that the one you choose will be the right company for the job?

The value of a guarantee is highly important, and to prove his commitment to his guarantee of excellent customer service, owner of ElectricMan Inc. and Master Electrician, Nick Schaeffer, provides the following promise:

“As the owner of ElectricMan Inc., I am so confident in our ability to satisfy our customers’ needs that I am including my personal mobile phone number here to ensure that our high level of customer service is never jeopardized.  If you ever have any concerns regarding the level of service, or the quality of the work that you receive from ElectricMan Inc. please do not hesitate to reach out to me personally. You can reach me, Nick Schaeffer, Master Electrician and Owner of ElectricMan Inc., at 972-898-8098. I will always be happy to do everything that I can to make your experience with my company an enjoyable one.”

The guarantee that ElectricMan Inc. provides is about not only quality in Home Electric Repair, but also in the quality of the technicians that they send to your home or business, and the assurance that your electrical repair will be performed using the correct techniques following all current electrical guidelines and safety codes. The key factor in choosing an electrician is finding one with the experience, track record, and personal accountability to provide the service that you, as a customer, deserve.

Today, most property owners look for ways and means to make their properties more energy-efficient. It’s why people insulate their homes using the latest materials, are choosing appliances with a high WELS rating and opt for green building materials when they are constructing their homes. One more effective way to improve the energy efficiency of your home or commercial establishment is to opt for LED lighting systems.

Many people avoid replacing their older CFL bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs because they feel the latter are too expensive. While it’s true that the up-front cost of LED bulbs is 5-6 times higher than standard bulbs, the cost factors can’t be looked at in isolation. Here are some other facts that will help you make a more well-informed choice about the type of lighting to use.

Unlike conventional bulbs, LEDs don’t have any filament that can burn out and they emit a very cool light which goes a long way in reducing residential and commercial air- conditioning bills. These bulbs get illuminated when the electrons move through a semi-conductor and release visible light.

Though the initial costs of LED lights are higher than other conventional types of lighting, you end up saving a significant amount of money in the long term. Regardless of whether you need commercial or residential LED lighting, transitioning to LED light bulbs is a smart choice. Today, a large number of homeowners and commercial establishments are switching to LED lighting.

Many people wonder whether LED bulbs are able to provide as much illumination as incandescent bulbs or CFL bulbs do. In order to understand this, it’s important to understand a little more about how the light intensity of a bulb is measured. Lumen (a measure of the light intensity) is the simplest (though not perfect) measure of lighting efficiency that any lighting sources produce for every watt.

A traditional incandescent bulb provides 13 lumens per watt to light a room. A fluorescent globe provides around 60 lumens per watt. In comparison, an LED bulb provides 80 lumens per watt. As you can see, even when it comes to illumination, LED bulbs stand a head above the rest of the lighting options.

Apart from the illumination and energy-efficiency factors, there are some other distinct advantages to using LEDs on your commercial or residential property.

The need of the hour is for energy-efficient alternatives and LED lighting is a revolution in lighting. No matter which way you look at it, you stand to benefit from switching to LED lighting. For any more information about LED lighting and for any type of commercial or residential electrical jobs, call Allround Electrical’s friendly team today at this number – 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address or by filling out this contact form.

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