Science Max | FULL EPISODE | Generating Electricity | Season 2

Summary

In this episode of 'Science Max Experiments at Large,' host Phil demonstrates various methods of generating electricity on a grand scale. From harnessing human power and solar energy to exploring tidal and wind power, Phil and his guest, Anthony from the Ontario Science Center, conduct experiments to see how much electricity can be produced. They construct a wind turbine, experiment with a large generator, and even use a bike to power a generator, learning about the principles behind electricity generation and the fun of experimenting with different energy sources.

Takeaways

• 🔋 The script introduces the concept of generating electricity through various means, emphasizing the importance of electricity in modern life.
• 🏡 It highlights that without electricity, many everyday conveniences like power tools, video games, telephones, and television would not be possible.
• 🔧 The host, Phil, demonstrates how electricity can be generated using simple tools like an electric motor, which when spun, acts as a generator.
• 🌬️ The script explores the idea of creating electricity through renewable sources such as wind power by building a wind turbine model.
• 🤝 Phil collaborates with Anthony from the Ontario Science Center to experiment with generating electricity using human power.
• 🔩 They experiment with different methods to increase the efficiency of electricity generation, including using larger generators and gears.
• 🚴‍♂️ A bike is used as a tool to harness human power to spin a generator, illustrating the potential of kinetic energy in electricity generation.
• ⚙️ The script explains the principle of how generators work, involving the interaction between a magnet and a conductor to produce electric current.
• 🌞 Solar power is discussed as a distinct method of electricity generation, where photons from the sun knock electrons to create an electric current.
• 🌊 The concept of tidal power is introduced, showing how the natural ebb and flow of ocean tides can be used to spin generators and produce electricity.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The script concludes with a high-energy experiment where Phil uses his body weight to create a significant spike in electricity generation, emphasizing the fun aspect of human-powered experiments.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the 'Science Max Experiments at Large' episode described in the transcript?

The main theme of the episode is generating electricity through various means such as human power, solar energy, tidal energy, wind energy, and more.

How does an electric motor relate to generating electricity as explained in the script?

An electric motor can be used to generate electricity when spun. Normally, a battery powers the motor and makes it spin, but if you spin the motor manually, it can act as a generator and produce electricity.

What materials are needed to create a simple wind turbine according to the transcript?

To create a simple wind turbine, you would need index cards or construction paper, scissors, push pins, science tape, a cork, chopsticks, craft sticks, and modeling clay.

What role does a multimeter play in the experiments described in the script?

A multimeter is used to measure the small amounts of electric current generated by the homemade wind turbine and other generators in the experiments.

Why does the size of the generator matter in the context of the experiments?

The size of the generator matters because a larger generator, with bigger magnets and more copper, can produce more electricity when spun.

What is the significance of using gears in the experiments to generate electricity?

Using gears allows for more spins of the generator, which increases the amount of electricity produced. It's a way to amplify the input effort into a higher output of generator spins.

How does the script describe the process of generating electricity from the sun using solar panels?

The script describes solar panels generating electricity by photons from the sun knocking electrons from one side of a plate to the other, creating a flow of electrons, or electric current, that can be used to do work.

What alternative method is suggested in the script for increasing the speed of the generator's spin?

The script suggests using a bike, with its gears, to spin the generator faster. The pedals of the bike turn a large gear which in turn spins a smaller gear attached to the generator.

What is the concept of 'spinning the generator' mentioned in the script, and why is it important?

Spinning the generator is the process of turning the generator to produce electricity. It's important because it's the fundamental action needed to generate electricity from various energy sources, such as wind, hydro, or human power.

How does the script illustrate the concept of electricity generation from tidal power?

The script illustrates tidal power by explaining that attaching a paddle wheel to a generator in the water can produce electricity as the tide goes out and comes in, similar to how water power is used in hydroelectricity.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 Introduction to Science Max Experiments

The script introduces the show 'Science Max Experiments at Large' with host Phil, who aims to perform everyday science experiments on a grand scale. The episode's focus is on generating electricity using various sources such as human power, solar energy, tidal energy, and wind energy. Phil explains the importance of electricity in modern life and how it is generated, starting with a simple demonstration using an electric motor and a battery. He then guides viewers through building a wind turbine using everyday materials like index cards, a cork, and modeling clay. The experiment illustrates the basic principle of how spinning an electric motor can generate electricity.

05:01

🏋️‍♂️ Generating Electricity with Human Power

In this segment, Phil and Anthony from the Ontario Science Center explore ways to generate electricity using human power. They discuss the relationship between the size of a generator and the amount of electricity it can produce. They experiment with a larger generator and use a multimeter to measure the voltage generated. Despite their efforts to increase the speed and efficiency of the generator's spinning, they only manage to produce a small amount of electricity, enough to power a small LED flashlight. They then consider using gears to increase the generator's spinning speed and discuss the potential of using a bicycle to power the generator through pedaling.

10:03

🚴‍♂️ Bicycle-Powered Electricity Generation

Phil and Anthony construct a stationary bike setup to harness human power for electricity generation. They attach a generator to the bike's rear tire and use the bike's gears to increase the generator's spinning speed. As they pedal, they generate more electricity, reaching up to 18 volts, enough to power a power tool like a drill. They then devise a plan to create a sudden, high spike in electricity by using a rope and a horn to quickly spin the generator. This experiment demonstrates the potential of using mechanical advantage and human exertion to generate electricity.

15:04

⚡️ Diverse Methods of Electricity Generation

The script explains various methods of electricity generation, including steam engines, coal power, natural gas, nuclear power, wind power, and hydroelectric power. All these methods fundamentally involve turning a generator, except for solar power, which uses photons from the sun to knock electrons and create an electric current. The segment also touches on the concept of alternating current (AC) and how it is generated. Phil and Anthony then discuss using a sudden, forceful pull on a rope to create a high spike in electricity, which they plan to test with a pulley system and a crash mat for safety.

20:07

🌊 Tidal Power and Final Experiment

The final segment delves into tidal power, explaining how the natural ebb and flow of ocean tides can be harnessed to spin a generator and create electricity. Phil and Anthony prepare for a final experiment where they will use their body weight to spin the generator by falling onto a rope attached to a pulley system. They discuss the potential of this method to create a significant spike in electricity. The script concludes with a summary of the various electricity generation methods explored in the episode and a reminder that while human power may not be the most efficient, it is certainly fun and educational.

Keywords

💡Electricity

Electricity is the flow of electrons through a conductor, such as a wire, which can be harnessed to power various devices and appliances. In the video, electricity is the central theme as the host explores different methods of generating it, from human power to renewable sources like solar and wind energy. The script mentions how essential electricity is to modern life, highlighting the impact of power outages and the various ways it can be produced.

💡Generator

A generator is a device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. In the video, the concept of a generator is crucial as the host demonstrates how spinning a generator can produce electricity. The script describes various ways to turn a generator, such as using human power, wind turbines, or water flow, which are all methods of generating electricity.

💡Human Power

Human power refers to the energy generated by physical exertion of humans, which can be harnessed for various purposes. In the script, the host experiments with generating electricity through human power by spinning a generator with their own strength. This concept is used to illustrate the amount of effort required to produce a significant amount of electricity and to compare it with other, more efficient methods.

💡Solar Energy

Solar energy is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, typically using solar panels. The video script explains how solar panels work by capturing photons from the sun and using them to knock electrons from one side of a plate to another, creating an electric current. This is a key method of renewable energy generation and is contrasted with other forms of power generation in the video.

💡Wind Energy

Wind energy is the process of converting the kinetic energy from wind into electrical power using wind turbines. The script describes an experiment where a homemade wind turbine is created to demonstrate how wind can be used to spin a generator and produce electricity. This is part of the video's exploration of renewable energy sources.

💡Tidal Energy

Tidal energy is the power derived from the movement of ocean tides, and it is used to generate electricity. In the script, the concept is briefly introduced as a way to harness the natural ebb and flow of tides to turn a generator. This is presented as another form of renewable energy that can be utilized for power generation.

💡Hydroelectric Power

Hydroelectric power is electricity generated by the movement of water, typically through the use of dams and turbines. The video script touches upon hydroelectric power as a form of renewable energy, explaining that it involves using the force of water falling from a height to spin a generator. This is mentioned in the context of various methods to generate electricity from natural forces.

💡Multimeter

A multimeter is a measuring instrument that combines several functions, including the measurement of voltage, current, and resistance. In the video, a multimeter is used to measure the small amounts of electric current generated by the various experiments. It is an essential tool in demonstrating the success of the electricity generation methods being tested.

💡Renewable Energy

Renewable energy refers to energy sources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, and water. The video script emphasizes renewable energy sources as sustainable alternatives to traditional energy sources. The host explores various renewable energy methods, such as solar, wind, and tidal power, to highlight their potential for generating electricity.

💡Efficiency

Efficiency, in the context of the video, refers to how well a system or process performs in converting energy from one form to another without wasting energy. The script discusses the efficiency of different methods for generating electricity, such as using gears to increase the spinning speed of a generator or employing renewable energy sources that have a lower environmental impact.

Highlights

Phil introduces the concept of doing everyday science experiments on a larger scale.

The episode's focus is on generating electricity through various means including human power, solar, tidal, and wind energy.

A historical context is provided, illustrating life without electricity and the importance of its invention.

An explanation of how electric motors work and their role in generating electricity is given.

A DIY wind turbine project is introduced, utilizing simple materials like index cards, a cork, and an electric motor.

The process of creating a wind turbine is detailed, including the assembly of its components.

A demonstration of how the wind turbine generates electricity using a multimeter is shown.

The limitations of small-scale electricity generation are discussed, emphasizing the need for larger generators.

Anthony from the Ontario Science Center is introduced to help with experiments on generating electricity through human power.

Experiments with different handle sizes on a generator to increase electricity production are conducted.

The concept of using gears to amplify the spinning power of a generator is explored.

A bike is repurposed to serve as a generator, illustrating the conversion of kinetic energy from pedaling into electrical energy.

The principle of how generators work is explained using a simple galvanometer and copper wire demonstration.

The team attempts to generate more electricity by spinning the generator faster using a rope and pulley system.

Various methods of electricity generation such as hydro, nuclear, coal, and solar are briefly compared.

A practical demonstration of how solar panels convert sunlight into electricity is provided.

The final attempt at generating a high spike of electricity by falling onto a crash mat while pulling a rope is described.

The conclusion highlights the fun aspect of human power generation despite its inefficiency compared to other methods.

Transcripts

have you ever done a science experiment

and wondered what it'd be like if you

did it big

i have

[Music]

[Applause]

my name is phil and i take your everyday

science experiments and do them big

this is science max experiments at large

[Music]

this episode of science max is all about

generating electricity where do we get

this electricity that we use all the

time we try to generate as much as we

can using human power plus solar energy

tidal energy

wind energy and more all you need to do

is turn the generator all on this

episode of science max experiment at

large

greeting science maximites take a moment

and imagine with me if you will a time

when the only way to light your house

was with candles or oil lamps there was

no electricity that meant no power tools

no

video games no telephones and worst of

all

no tv

fortunately we live in a world of

electricity

if you've ever lost power in your city

or neighborhood you know how hard it is

to get by without electricity even for

one day but where does it all come from

where do we get this electricity that we

use all the time

we make it that's the cool thing and i

can show you how to make it as well

check it out all you need is an electric

motor electric motors are pretty simple

all you do is get a battery and you

attach it to the electric motor and that

makes it

work

there we go

attached to the battery it spins

but if you spin the electric motor it

creates electricity and that's what

we're going to look at today creating

electricity we're going to build a wind

turbine but first you need an electric

motor and you can probably get one from

a broken toy just make sure that the toy

is broken and that the broken part isn't

the electric motor here's what you need

index cards or construction paper

scissors push pins science tape it's the

same as invisible tape except i use this

one for science a cork chopsticks craft

sticks and modeling clay and remember

all the steps for this experiment are on

our website

to begin cut the index cards into strips

and tape down a push pin so it sticks

out

then fold over the index card and tape

it together

then stick the pin into the cork and

repeat that step if you want as many

blades as you can get on your fan you're

welcome to do that next take your

modeling clay and stick the chopsticks

in then tape the craft sticks in between

with science tape

then take the motor and stick the cork

on the end then wedge the motor in

between the craft sticks and tape it

down so it stays put and there you go

a fan that will spin in the wind you

want to adjust the fan blades so they

all face on a bit of an angle that way

they will catch the wind and spin

there we go now when it spins it will

create electricity i'll show you with

this it's a multimeter and a multimeter

measures little amounts of electric

current

there

the hairdryer makes wind

spinning the fan blades and

we are creating electricity

now pretty much all electricity that you

make comes down to turning a generator a

small motor like this isn't going to

produce a lot of electricity barely

enough to power one tiny little led but

it's a start

and a good start is all we need cause

today on science max experiments at

large we're going to look at all kinds

of different ways of generating

electricity plus i want to find out just

how much electricity one human being can

generate although one human being is

going to be kind of lonely i'm going to

need an expert oh i know anthony from

the ontario science center he can help i

wonder if he's busy well

come on

[Applause]

[Music]

oh anthony phil so i was wondering if

you could help me with an experiment i

want to generate as much electricity

with human power what do you think i

think that sounds awesome okay great

let's go back to science max

headquarters

is that the portal yeah don't worry all

the kinks are worked out

i know what it is it's this

ugh where did you end up i was in the

vents oh i ended up in the bathroom all

right well now that we're here okay so

this is what i started with and this is

uh just you know an electric motor right

right um so you can generate electricity

you spin it so i figured in order to

generate more electricity you get a

bigger generator exactly yeah the bigger

the generator the bigger the magnet the

more the copper the more the electricity

uh well you know what we should do is we

should just get an even bigger one like

a giant one that they use in like in a

power plant or something or not quite

that would be too big for a person to be

able to turn it'd just be impossible so

you think this is a good size i think

this is a great size okay so that's

that's good this is called a multimeter

we're gonna hook up the wires we'll do

black to uh black i like to black the

red

and as you turn our generator we can see

just how much electricity we're

generating okay so here you hold on to

that and i can start generator

now it's time to play how much

electricity did they make 2.4 volts yeah

it's not bad oh 2.4 yeah that's not

great that's just enough to power a

small led flashlight

better keep trying boys i got some

handles here that we're

going to attach ah to the end of the

generator so we can spin it okay let's

try

ah

no matter how fast i crank the large

handle i couldn't make any more

electricity than before okay let's try

something else

but it's a smaller handle perfect okay

yeah that's good yeah well maybe it'll

let us get more spins in oh yeah because

i don't have to make as big a circle

exactly yeah it's working already we're

up to like 3.5

now how much electricity is filmmaking

4.5

that's the same as three double a

batteries maybe enough to power a toy

car still a long way to go yeah it's

it's a lot higher with the faster spins

oh all right all right you okay i'm okay

maybe we could use like some gears or

something like that oh yeah you know

that's a good idea because the the

this circle that i'm making here i can

only go so fast yeah maybe with gears

you can do one circle here equals like

10 circles on the other gear exactly

yeah okay so kind of like the like the

gears on on like on like a bike yeah the

gears on a bike or something like that

a bike of course yeah so okay so we get

a bike and we attach the back tire to

the generator the generator and then you

can use the pedals of the big gear to

power the small gears okay great we'll

go get a bike yeah high five all right

oh right they're over here

[Music]

this is the generator it generates

electricity when you spin it but how

does it work what wizardry is inside

well actually generating an electric

current is fairly simple all you need is

two things first you need a conductor

like this coil of copper wire and you

need a magnet now this is a galvanometer

it measures small amounts of electric

current and i have my copper wire

attached to it watch as i put the magnet

inside the copper

i get a little bit of an electric

current and then i take it out

it goes in the other direction a little

bit going this way and then i take it

out a little bit going that way positive

negative positive negative this kind of

current that goes back and forth is

called alternating current or ac it's

the same kind of electricity you have in

your house but here's the cool thing

watch this i put the magnet in and i

leave it it goes back to zero you only

get electricity when you move the magnet

all right so let's create our generator

instead of starting with a copper coil

like this what if we just had the magnet

and we have it staying still like that

and we move the conductor past it like

spinning

it's good but not great because we're

only getting a little bit of electricity

as it passes so let's make it more

efficient let's put in some more magnets

one on either side and

one on the top and now when we spin it

it goes past all of these magnets and

every time we get a little bit of

electric current well this is how a

generator works if you take an electric

motor or a generator apart

you can see there's a coil of copper

wires on the shaft and it spins around

like this and on the inside there are

magnets so there you go when you put it

together and spin it you get an electric

current or if you put an electric

current in it it will spin just like an

electric motor and that is how

a generator works

[Music]

anthony and i are trying to create as

much electricity as we can using just

human power but so far it hasn't been

going so well it all comes down to how

fast we can spin the generator maybe we

could use like some gears or something

like that in order to get it spinning

really fast we're gonna use a bike it's

just a matter of getting a bike taking

off the wheel putting it on a stand it

is now a stationary bike it'll be even

more stationary once we screw it down

and attaching the generator

all right

the bike generator bike raider what's

what should we call this thing uh bike

nader bike no mater i like it so okay

let's go over what we've got here okay

so we've got uh two gears we got a big

one we got a small one we turn our

pedals and the big gear turns the small

one so this this is the whole point of

this build is so that we can get

one revolution here means a whole bunch

is spinning exactly the more we get here

the more our generator spins and the

more electricity we get we get tons

awesome and uh obviously using bike

because you're using your legs uh-huh

the strongest muscles in your body

awesome uh-huh okay so now what's with

this

horn that is a loud horn i know i know i

tried to warn you that is great i love

that so anthony and i hop on and give it

a pedal we pedal as hard as we can and

we produce a pretty good amount of

electricity how much electricity did

they produce we got up to maybe like 18

there you did a pretty good job that's

enough for a power tool like a drill

it's it's good you know what this

this works well i think for keeping a

good number for a long period of time

yeah you can get up to like 18 20. but

it doesn't we can't really get any

higher than that yeah you know what we

need is like one really hard pull like

all of a sudden that way you can get

like a spike yeah you're right so it's

like instead of putting all that effort

into it going for a long time you put

all the effort into one quick motion

exactly yeah good idea so you wrap a

rope around here and then you just pull

it exactly exactly and that'd be a

really fast motion

spin it really quick and get a very high

number high spike exactly okay uh you

know we we're gonna have to take the

bike apart though ah okay

well it's science okay cool so i'll just

get it oh you know what we actually

don't have to take the whole bike apart

we just have to take the generator off

oh right okay hang on a sec i got it and

maybe we should attach the horn to the

next thing too

[Applause]

[Music]

so you want to generate some electricity

but what do you choose to generate that

electricity hydro nuclear coal solar who

knows i do i know and soon so will you

in order to generate electricity you

need to

turn the generator turn the generator

one of the most common ways to turn the

generator is to use one of these it's a

steam engine usually they're a lot

bigger you see you heat the water to

boil it and turn it to steam which

works a piston which turns the generator

huh pretty amazing right but

what it really boils down to is heating

water to make steam boil water to make

steam to

turn the generator coal power

burn the coal to boil water to make

steam to

turn the generator natural gas that's

different right nope burn the gas to

boil water to make steam to turn the

generator

nuclear powered that's different right

nope it creates heat which you use to

boil water to make steam to turn the

generator wind power we don't even need

heat for that just use the wind to spin

the fan to turn the generator hydro

power just pour water across something

that spins to turn the generator no

matter what making electricity always

comes down to turning the generator it's

always gotta yatta yada yada turn the

generator except for solar solar does

not work like that

but other than that it's always yada

yada yada to turn the generator and now

you know your electricity generation

hey ramona you want to come and give me

a hand over here my arm is getting tired

it is hot out here oh in order to

generate electricity you need to spin a

generator most forms of electricity

generation work like that but not solar

solar panels like this one generate

electricity from the sun's energy so how

do they do it well

this

is a solar panel okay it's not really a

solar panel i just sort of put this

together but it works the same way there

are two plates and on these plates are

electrons i've got golf ball electrons

up here ping-pong ball electrons down

here but they're all the same thing now

this happy little fellow is a photon

energy from the sun in handy-dandy

particle form what happens is photons

come from the sun and hit the top plate

and knock some electrons from one side

to the other like this

and that knocks over some electrons now

these extra electrons travel up a wire

in the form of electricity and we can

use them to do work for us

then they change to the other charge go

back and

we start the process all over again that

is how solar panels work but remember it

only works

when there's sun and photons

[Music]

anthony and i are trying to generate

electricity using human power spinning

the generator didn't work too well but

we found if we used some gears like

those on a bike it worked better you

know what we need is like one really

hard pull like all of a sudden using

gears is a great way to get work done

the good news is there are generators

with gears already in them that means if

we can turn the spindle once the gears

inside will spin the coil a lot of times

the only downside turning the spindle

gets harder the higher the gear

anthony and i attach a spindle and then

we wind up the rope which

takes a while

okay so the plan is

it's on a big spool now yeah and you

just run as fast as you can got it and

we'll hopefully get as many revolutions

as we can depending on how fast your top

speed is okay sounds okay sounds good i

can be pretty quick okay good all right

ready on your mark

get set uh-huh go

how much electricity did they create 24

volts actually not bad that's enough to

power their own personal scooter not too

shabby boys we need like a hard pull all

at once yeah and something like really

big so what if we could get uh like

really high like okay like up there

could we attach the generator up there

you could jump down from there um and i

would hang on the rope yeah yeah it's

good but i don't want to jump from up

there um oh what if we put a pulley up

there and then the rope goes through the

pulley and then back down and then i

jump from somewhere much safer like just

on top of here onto a crash mat or

something that sounds great and that's

my full body weight on the on the rope

that sounds great all right high fives

yeah

tidal power in 60 seconds

[Music]

by now you know that in order to create

electricity you need to spin a generator

scientists and engineers are always

coming up with lots of new ways to use

natural forces of the earth to spin a

generator and create electricity one of

those natural forces

one of those natural forces is the power

of the tides you see the water in the

oceans doesn't stay still every few

hours the water or the tide goes out and

then a few hours later it comes back in

so if you attach a paddle wheel in the

water and attach that to a generator

when the tide goes out it creates

electricity when the tide comes back in

it creates electricity that is how you

create electricity using the power of

the tides it's water power in fact

hydroelectricity is also using water

power do we have do we have time to talk

about hydroelect we don't have time we

don't okay come back come back

hydroelectric power in 20 seconds

20 seconds uh okay hydroelectricity

comes from water hydro means water so

all you have to do is find a place where

water pours down from a height and you

can put a generator in there and ta-da

you're creating electricity with the

power of hydro

i did it

anthony and i have pulled and pedaled

and now we're going to hang on to the

rope and use our whole body weight to

spin the generator as fast as possible

okay okay crash mat uh-huh let me test

it out

looks good yup it's good for crashing

so why go up here uh-huh okay i go up

here climb on up

we'll get you the rope

got your helmet for safety helmet for

safety crash mat for safety so we have

the rope and it goes up through that

pulley

and then back down to our generator with

a spindle on it and as i fall the

spindle will turn exactly and hopefully

the speed of me falling and holding

yanking it down as hard as i can will be

the biggest spike of electricity yet

that's right we'll be measuring it on

our multimeter okay

okay ready you ready yeah here we go

three two one

i jump down and my whole body weight

pulls on the line

oh that was awesome that was like our

biggest spike ever that was amazing all

right high fives biggest spike ever is

it enough to power my house nope

how much electricity did phil generate

almost 30 volts how much does he need to

power his house

120 volts he's still off by quite a bit

well we've learned something nuclear

uh wind hydro solar natural gas full

power it's all great ways to generate

electricity yeah and human power

not so much not as good but human power

is more fun yeah way more fun yeah so

your turn yes okay okay you take the

helmet and i'll take the multimeter okay

and then we'll go and we'll do it again

okay

okay

wait i gotta wind it up

science max is a show where we take

small experiments and do them big if you

want to try these experiments yourself

go to our website for instructions but

not all the experiments on science max

are the kind you should try at home this

one yes this no try this don't try this

a big yes a big no i i don't know how

you could possibly do this one at home

and remember if you're ever not sure ask

an adult thanks for watching science

math

large so this is a solar panel

and this is a train you're generating

electricity

you're in the way of my solar panel

oh no it's spinning the other way

like i forgot a step i forgot a snap

the water in the oceans doesn't stay

still

the thing in the background it totally

threw me off what was that okay okay

okay where were we

we were