Spirograph

Materials

· 4 felt markers

· 1 CD

· 2 AA batteries

· Battery pack

· 3 volt motor

· Bottle cap

· Stickers

· Construction paper

· Electrical tape

Procedure

1. Remove the caps from all 4 markers and set them aside. There are 4 holes in the CD. Gently twist the markers into each hole. Place the caps back on the markers, and the CD should rest on the caps. We do not want to dry out our markers!

2. Insert the two AA batteries into the battery pack. Observe that there are two sides to the battery. Which side do you think is placed into the spring side of the battery pack? It looks like this —-> [ — ]. This is the negative side. The other is positive.

3. Let’s test the motor to make sure it works! There are two wires on the battery pack. NEVER CONNECT THOSE TWO WIRES! You want to connect the end of the red wire to the metal piece on the motor. Do the same for the black wire. To connect the wires to the motor, put the wire through the metal piece, and bend and twist the wire so it latches on. What do you notice? Do you hear anything? Try to switch the wires on the motor. Look closely, what do you notice now? When you see that your motor works, pull the wires off of the motor by untwisting and pulling out of the metal piece.

4. Pointed down, place the motor in the center of the CD. Attach the bottle cap to the metal post sticking out of the motor, which is also called the shaft.

5. Wrap tape around two of the markers so that the motor is in the middle of your oval. Attach one side of the tape to the other. Place the battery pack on its side, horizontally on the CD next to the motor as close to the center as you can get.

6. Time to spin the motor! Attach the red wire and then the black wire to the motor. Make sure it is secure and will not come off. The motor will be vibrating, make sure you hold onto it so it doesn’t run away! Use the last piece of tape to secure the battery pack to the side of the motor. Why are we using electrical tape and not normal tape? For a brain blast, look up “ELECTROMAGNETIC”.

7. Take off the caps of your markers. Place it on your paper. You are ready to create a masterpiece! You may have to reposition it when it travels off of the paper.

Science Behind it!

A motor does not run on magic! How does it work? One clue—the batteries! How does this work?? First off, this is an electric motor. You can start by understanding that you made a circuit. Circuit sounds similar to a circle. Energy is transferred in a circle from beginning to the end, except there is no end unless you break the circle. How would you break this circle, or break this circuit? What else could this tiny motor run? Is there anything in your house or school that runs off of electricity? Is there anything that runs off of batteries?

How does this machine make circles on the paper? When the motor spins, the bottle cap also spins. It is just enough weight to move the entire spirograph in one direction. As the CD spins, the markers are moving with the CD, creating the circles on your paper! Can you expand this design using materials around you? Draw your idea and then implement!