ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Jonah--

I've got one word for you: sweat.  My experience with hand batteries is
that little kids make them surge, and some adults--especially
grandparents, who seem to specialize in dry hands--barely register.
It's particularly apparent when you strap someone up to the galvanic
skin resistivity sensor on a lie detector--for kids, I turn the
sensitivity WAY down, but for adults, I need a much more sensitive
meter.

So kids do appear to have more "juice" in them than we do.

Nina

-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jonah Cohen
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 4:31 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Un-lectric

ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
************************************************************************
*****

Well here's my weird question of the week:

 

I got e-mail from a woman who visited our museum and had a question
about
the Hand Battery exhibit. (You put your hands on copper and aluminum
plates,
presto - electricity. Everyone has one of these, right?) She said that
it
worked for everyone she saw try it, but the meter showed her as
generating
no electricity. What's up with that?

 

It seems we can rule out the usual suspects of a busted exhibit (it
worked
for others) or incorrect usage (put your hands on a flat surface, this
ain't
rocket science). Is it possible that some individuals are more
high-resistance than others? She speculates that her own health might be
a
significant variable (she has Lupus).

 

Any thoughts?

 

Jonah Cohen

Outreach & Public Programs Manager

Science Center of Connecticut

 

"Fire up the klezmer music and prepare to become a man, you're in for a
truth-mitzvah!"

        -Stephen Colbert

 


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