How to Make a Homemade Flashlight
Gather your supplies., Tape the wire to the negative ( - ) end of one of the batteries., Tape the bottom of the toilet paper roll/cardboard well so that it is completely covered., Insert the battery, wired end first, into the toilet paper roll...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather your supplies.
Clear an area to work in and invite the kids and family to come watch you manipulate electricity with your bare hands.
You'll need:
An empty toilet paper roll (or lightweight cardboard rolled into a small tube) 2 D batteries Tape (electrical tape works well) 5" (12.5 cm) long piece of wire (if you're using a speaker wire, use the copper kind)
2.2 volt light bulb (different bulbs are an option, but it may or may not work as well.
A bulb from a string of Christmas lights works quite effectively.) -
Step 2: Tape the wire to the negative ( - ) end of one of the batteries.
Make sure it's snug and not going anywhere, or your light will end up flickering.
You could use tin foil instead of wire, but it's a little less dependable and harder to work with. , You don't want any light to sneak through, dissipating its strength
-- that would be one poorly working flashlight.
If you didn't have reason to use black electrical tape yet, now you do. , Even though the wired end is facing the taped bottom of the roll, the other end of the wire should be sticking out of the open end.
If the wire isn't sticking out enough to come around the edge of the battery, you need to shorten your tube. , Its negative side will meet the positive side of the battery, which is already inside.
This connection continues the flow of electricity from back to front, ultimately lighting up your device. , Be confident there's an adequate direct connection between the two surfaces (basically, make sure it's sturdy).
Make sure you can still see the bottom half of the bulb. , With the wire, touch the silver part of the bulb.
If it doesn't light up after a few tries, check the tips below for troubleshooting.
If it does function, now you have a working flashlight with an on/off feature. -
Step 3: Tape the bottom of the toilet paper roll/cardboard well so that it is completely covered.
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Step 4: Insert the battery
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Step 5: wired end first
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Step 6: into the toilet paper roll.
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Step 7: Insert the next battery
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Step 8: negative side first.
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Step 9: Tape the bulb to the top of the battery.
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Step 10: Light up your flashlight.
Detailed Guide
Clear an area to work in and invite the kids and family to come watch you manipulate electricity with your bare hands.
You'll need:
An empty toilet paper roll (or lightweight cardboard rolled into a small tube) 2 D batteries Tape (electrical tape works well) 5" (12.5 cm) long piece of wire (if you're using a speaker wire, use the copper kind)
2.2 volt light bulb (different bulbs are an option, but it may or may not work as well.
A bulb from a string of Christmas lights works quite effectively.)
Make sure it's snug and not going anywhere, or your light will end up flickering.
You could use tin foil instead of wire, but it's a little less dependable and harder to work with. , You don't want any light to sneak through, dissipating its strength
-- that would be one poorly working flashlight.
If you didn't have reason to use black electrical tape yet, now you do. , Even though the wired end is facing the taped bottom of the roll, the other end of the wire should be sticking out of the open end.
If the wire isn't sticking out enough to come around the edge of the battery, you need to shorten your tube. , Its negative side will meet the positive side of the battery, which is already inside.
This connection continues the flow of electricity from back to front, ultimately lighting up your device. , Be confident there's an adequate direct connection between the two surfaces (basically, make sure it's sturdy).
Make sure you can still see the bottom half of the bulb. , With the wire, touch the silver part of the bulb.
If it doesn't light up after a few tries, check the tips below for troubleshooting.
If it does function, now you have a working flashlight with an on/off feature.
About the Author
Patricia Armstrong
Enthusiastic about teaching pet care techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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