(mini) Lab 4: Material conductivity in nature and everyday life

0. Preparatory tasks:

To complete this lab you should do tasks 1-3 in the class meeting page.

If you are still not comfortable with using a multimeter, this video Links to an external site. will come in handy. And remember to check that it has enough battery, otherwise the readings might be weird or unstable. If after changing the battery it still behaves unexpectedly, contact a teacher asap.  Links to an external site.

Finally, watch this nice video that Tove (last year's TA) has prepared, showing how to perform the measurements, how well different materials conduct, and how they could be used creatively as sensors.

Please note that there is no lab session associated to this mini lab as it is supposed to be conducted mostly outside and it is very straightforward. If you experience difficulties do not hesitate in using the forum.

1. The mini lab procedure:

In this individual mini lab, you will explore materials such as plastics, textiles, and objects in nature using a multimeter. We want you to go out of your home and engage with materials outdoors (unless this puts you in risk!). The goal is to find interesting materials that are either good conductors or conductors with some resistance. Good conductors can potentially be used as a replacement for wires. Conductors with some resistance are often more interesting as resistive sensors, since the resistance between 2 points on the material increases with distance.

In a nutshell, you have 2 tasks:

1. Move around outdoors and in your home testing various materials, using the resistance measuring mode on the multimeter. Document resistance measures in relation to the length between the measuring points. For instance, if you find a material with resistance, measure the resistance between 2 points, e.g, 1 cm, 5 cm, and 20 cm apart. Choose ONE material to report on. 
2. Speculate on how the found material could be used as a sensor in various ways. For example, you may find this website inspirational: https://www.kobakant.at/DIY/?cat=26 Links to an external site.
   
   Then, upload your assignment as indicated in this quiz's questions.
   

If you have a reason not to do this lab individually, please let us know and we will find a solution.