A large scale & practical explaination of how semi-conductors slow an electron to get an effect in electronics.
NEED:
- marble run set
- marbles
HOW: Have the children hold their marble high up. Ask “does it want to go low?” until the understanding is that the marble wants to go to the lowest energy, which is down. Introduce the different marble run pieces as forms to get the mable to do different things. Different forms are like different semi-conductors.
curves slow
bumps make sound
mill wheels spin
zig zags rock
fans spin
gravity wells pull
loops change direction
straight-a-ways speed
Note: There is also a water inflatable run for sale where the water would be the electron flow, “current”.
Why it works
An electron moves to the easiest location, where there is at the least energy. That is just like a marble moving through a marble run to get to stop at the bottom. When the material changes, the electron changes motion to different results.
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