UAM | Playing with the energy of the future

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We propose 2 activities that can be done simultaneously in groups of 10 people. Once they finish one activity they rotate to the other. Next, we describe the activities that we propose: manufacture of an electric battery and construction of a solar car. Activity 1: making a homemade electric battery using everyday materials – 6 5 cent coins, cardboard, aluminum foil and vinegar. The battery generates enough power to illuminate an LED diode. Participants will be able to make their own electric battery and see how we can convert the chemical energy stored in the battery into electrical energy by lighting an LED. The parts of the battery will be explained to them (anode, cathode and electrolyte, which in this case are the copper coin, aluminum foil and vinegar, respectively) and the basic principles of its operation. Activity 2: construction of a car that can move with the light of a spotlight that pretends to be the sun. To do this, the participants will use a kit to build the car with a plastic skeleton and a solar cell that is illuminated with spotlights. The participants will verify its operation by doing a car race using the spotlights in a racing circuit (we will take this circuit already built with recyclable materials). The parts of how light becomes charge carriers and how its energy is transformed into the electricity that drives the car will be explained to them. Demonstration of new photovoltaic energies: Counting on the older public, there will be a demonstrative explanation of the latest advances in the field of photovoltaic energy. For this, a table will be placed on the table, for those who want to follow the explanation, where a light concentrator will be used, consisting of a glass plate that is painted with fluorescent paint, which directs the light towards a small solar panel. With this circuit we will see how energy can be transformed into electricity capable of moving a propeller.