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Code Number: 5K40.83
Demo Title: Bicycle Generator
Condition: Good
Principle: Power of the Human Body
Area of Study: Electricity & Magnetism
Equipment:
Bicycle Generator.
Procedure:
This experiment is designed to show what it feels like to generate 100 watts of power. 100 watts is the average power generated by the human body when at rest.
Since we are using an alternator instead of a generator we need to have a 6 volt battery to energize the field coil. Once the coil has been energized the battery is disconnected and the alternator is self-sustaining. The alternator itself (field coil) consumes about 20 watts of power. There are 7 light bulbs each capable of 12 watts which may be switch in individually. Maximum total power output should be around 105 watts for this unit.
NOTE: A minimum speed needs to be maintained to keep the field coil energized.
References:
- Timothy Lindstrom and Catherine Middlecamp, "Campus as a Living Laboratory for Sustainability: The Physics Connection", TPT, Vol. 56, #4, Apr. 2018, p. 240.
- Ole Anton Haugland, "A Well-Known But Still Surprising Generator", TPT, Vol. 52, #9, Dec. 2014, p. 532.
- James O'Connell, "Food for Thought", TPT, Vol. 40, #1, Jan. 2002, p. 4.
- Larry Weinstein, "A Solar Comparison", TPT, Vol. 38, #9, Dec. 2000, p. 518.
- Gilbert H. Ward, "Hard to Believe!", TPT, Vol. 38, #6, Sept. 2000, p. 333.
- John Allen Paulos, "Significant Figures and Human Body Temperature", TPT, Vol. 37, #6, Sept. 1999, p. 368.
- Stan Jakuba, "Effect of Exercise Expressed in Joules and Watts", TPT, Vol. 29, #8, Nov. 1991, p. 512.
- Joseph Priest and George Pierce, "Generating Class Interest", TPT, Vol. 19, #3, Mar. 1981, p. 188.
- Dean Zollman and George Athey, "Variation on the Bicycle Generator", TPT, Vol. 14, #1, Jan. 1976, p. 61.
- Robert H. Johns, "How Big is a Joule?", TPT, Vol. 9, #7, Oct. 1971, p. 414.
- Rachel Z. Arndt, "How to Build a Bicycle-Powered Generator", Popular Mechanics, Apr. 2014, p. 78.
- Hackett, "When Disaster Strikes, This Bike Generator Will Give Me Power", Popular Science, Mar. 2014, p. 74.