Part of Lesson Plan: **Ingredient 3: Ignition (updated) by Thomas Dougherty

Activity Overview / Details

I will briefly explain that anything in an automotive electrical system that does not produce heat or light is a magnet.  We must find a way to use that magnetic field to turn the ignition coil on and off at the appropriate time.

As we cannot see a magnetic field or electron flow through a wire, we will be using a voltmeter and an oscilloscope to draw us a picture.  The voltmeter will show us the quantity of electricity being generated and the oscilloscope will draw the picture. 

I will then explain that when a magnet is passed over a coil of wire, the magnetic field stimulates electron flow through the coil and produces AC voltage. I then project a Vantage Pro display on my classroom screen and produce a signal with a Chrysler distributor.  I use a Chrysler distributor as the pickup coil is visible and very similar to what we will be building in class.  I explain amplitude (voltage) and frequency (time).  

Students can then play with their volt meters and the remaining distributors to produce a signal of varying amplitude and frequency depending upon how fast the distributor shaft is rotated.