Household Electric Audit Project

Task: Calculate and compare the monthly cost of TEN electric devices in your home. Also record and determine the cost of the electric devices you use in one average day. Use this information to suggest ways to reduce your electric bill.

Guidelines:

Select ten electric devices from the list below or any others not listed.

Locate the electric plate or sticker on each device and record the wattage. (Ex: 100 W bulb)

Use this information to calculate the quantities listed below. Show all work! You will need to use your best judgment to estimate the number of hours/day a device is used.

Look at your parent’s most recent electric bill (or search the web) to find the current cost of one Kilowatt x hour. This will allow you to calculate the cost to use each device per month.

Create a journal for any given day and record the electrical devices you used throughout the day in your house and the amount of time each device was used.

Use this information to calculate how much money you owe your parents for your total electric usage on this day.

Based on your journal and calculations, suggest at least two ways your family could save money on your household electric bill.

Scoring:

Device Calculations
(20 pts) / Journal (5 pts) / $ Owed Parents in 1 day (10 pts) / Suggestions to Lower Bill (5 pts)
2 pts for each device if all info and calculations are shown neatly and correct / 5 pts if journal is organized, complete reasonably accurate / 10 pts if all info and calculations are shown neatly and correct / 5 pts if two reasonable suggestions to lower electric bill are stated and explained

Total Points = ______out of 40 pts

Make Your Own Video Project

Purpose: To create an entertaining and informative video which the physics department can use to aid in the teaching of electricity, circuits and/or magnetism.

Task: Create a 10 to15 minute video in which you demonstrate and explain a topic we have learned about in our Electricity and Magnetism Unit.

Guidelines:

You may work in a group of no more than 3 people
Film should be appropriate for an introductory physics class of your peers
A rating of no more than PG
Library has cameras available to sign out

Scoring:

One / Three / Five

Physics Content Demonstration

/ Confusing or incomplete demonstration of concept / Some confusion or missing details in the demonstration of concept / Completely clear, thorough, and detailed demonstration of concept
Physics Content Explanation / Inaccurate, confusing, or incomplete explanation of concept / A few inaccuracies or some confusion in the explanation of concept / Completely accurate, clear, thorough, and appropriate level explanation of concept
Overall Video Production / Unpolished, major editing flaws, boring, or pace is too fast/slow / Minor editing flaws, somewhat amusing, or pace is off at times / Looks great, smooth editing, good pace, very entertaining
Extras
(music, graphics, etc) / Inappropriate, distracting, or none / A few are unnecessary or distracting / Appropriate, adds to the experience

Total Points = ______(out of 20 possible) x 2 = ______out of 40 pts

Electronic Device Project

Purpose: To demonstrate mastery of electronics, their application, use, and construction.

Task:This project is for those interested or experienced in working with electronics. It involves actually constructing circuits and providing functioning tools with different applications. A written analysis of the device and how it works is required and should be about 2 paragraphs in length. A detailed circuit diagram of the device must also be included.

Guidelines:

Go to and browse through the various electronics projects
You must select one device to build and it must be approved by your teacher!
You may work with a partner
Your device must work

Scoring:

1 point / 3 points / 5 points
Design / Craptastic! Did you build it this morning? / OK. Isn’t falling apart, but a few weak points in construction. / Fantastic! Well-built, solid construction, a lot of effort was clearly put forth
Circuit Diagram / I have no idea what you did / Missing some detail, labels, components or somewhat confusing / All components are included and labeled with enough detail so another person could build it
Written explanation / What? Vague, confusing, incomplete or less than one paragraph / Basic summary of the device but missing some of the detail or shorter than 2 paragraphs / Complete analysis of the device and how it works, 2 paragraphs long
Function / Poor. It only works for you and only if no one else is watching / Fair. It does what it’s supposed to do MOST of the time / Super! Works perfectly every time. Call the patent office!

Total Points = ______(out of 20 possible) x 2 = ______out of 40 pts

Goldberg Machine Project

Purpose: Demonstrate mastery of energy transformations by building a Rube Goldberg Machine. This is a device built to accomplish a simple task using several (often unnecessary) steps or processes.

Task: Construct a Goldberg machine that can be used to drop some alka-seltzer tablets into a glass of water. Along with your device you must submit a list of all the energy conversions that take place as the device operates, with a short description of each.

Guidelines:

Your device must have at least 5 different energy conversions taking place.
Your device must utilize at least 3 different forms of energy.
For each energy conversion, provide a concise but accurate description:

Ex: “When the hamster spins the wheel, chemical energy from its muscle cells is being converted to the kinetic energy of the wheel.”

Scoring:

1 point / 3 points / 5 points
Construction / Poor construction, does not work consistently or at all / Solid construction, works properly most of the time / Superb quality of construction. Works properly every time
Energy Conversions / 1-2 conversions are included in the machine design / 3-4 conversions are included in the machine design / 5 conversions are included in the machine design
Forms of Energy / Only1 form of energy is included in the machine design / 2 different forms of energy are included in the machine design / 3 different forms of energy are included in the machine design
Descriptions of Energy Conversions / Incorrect or confusing description of energy conversions / Somewhat inaccurate or vague description of energy conversions / Completely accurate and clear description of energy conversions

Total Points = ______(out of 20 possible) x 2 = ______out of 40 pts