Electricity, magnets and movement

Set in our purpose-built high voltage Lightning Room theatre which features equipment unique to Scienceworks, this 40-minute presentation will be a hair-raising introduction to the world of electricity.

Students will explore different types of electricity beginning with the effects of static electricity. With engaging volunteer moments, students learn how current electricity is produced using permanent magnets and coils of wire and how this principle is applied in power stations and electrical devices. They observe how electrical motors transform electrical energy into movement energy and how an electromagnet can be created.

The Electricity, Magnets and Movement Show is rounded off with a lightning demonstration using a two million volt Tesla coil and a discussion of safety in lightning storms.

Curriculum links

• Level 5–10 – Science as a Human Endeavour
• Level 5–10 – Physical Sciences
• Level 5–10 – Questioning and Predicting