By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
ROCKINGHAM — Half a dozen children participated in a science experience on Wednesday at Discovery Place
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Nicole Reidefer, 6, of Raeford, works with Lucas Worley, 4 and sister Hannah Worley, 6, with Discovery Place KIDS staff member Kassie Allen Wednesday during a “Squishy Circuit” lab experiment.
KIDS in downtown Rockingham.
“Squishy Circuits” is one of a series of labs funded through a $4,027 grant from Pee Dee Electric’s Care to Share program. Andrew Kohl and Seth Phillips, both 8 years old, both from Sanford, enjoyed the session led by Discovery Place staff member Wayne Webb, who was assisted by Kassie Allen. Along with Andrew and Seth were Nicole Reidefer, 6, of Raeford, along with friend Hannah Worley, also 6, and her 4-year-old brother, Lucas.
Webb brought out packages of two types of play dough — one creme-colored, dry dough and a wetter, orange-colored dough. Color and nothing to do with the experience, however. The dry dough, Webb explained, was made of water, flour, salt, creme of tartar, vegetable oil and salt. The wet dough, meanwhile, was made of flour, water, vegetable oil and sugar instead of salt.
Webb went on: The dry dough, with the salt, was the conducting dough while the wet dough, with the sugar, was the insulating dough. With sets of red and black cables — positive and negative, respectively — Webb and Allen helped the children complete the circuits to light miniature colored lightbulbs and small fans. Webb demonstrated that the salt-made dough was a stronger conductor, which allowed the bulb connected to it to shine bright and the fan to spin faster.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Andrew Kohl, left, and Seth Phillips, both 8 and both of Sanford, work together on an electricity experience Wednesday at Discovery Place KIDS.
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