Magic is creating the illusion that you can defy the laws of nature.

(bright music) (upbeat music) (children laughing) (upbeat music continues) -Whoa.

-Cool.

Whoa.

(upbeat music continues) (children laughing) -Whoa.

-How'd you do that?

(upbeat music continues) (children laughing) -Wow.

-Cool.

(children cheering) [Narrator] Magic is creating the illusion that you can defy the laws of nature.

Science is the study of how the natural world works.

This is science.

(upbeat music) (people cheering) So many things in our lives today are powered by electricity.

Most of our toys, lights, and even some of our cars run on electricity.

Today, we're going to explore electrical circuits.

It's important that you do so with a responsible older person, electricity is powerful and can be dangerous.

We are only going to experiment with what is called a DC circuit.

At no time will we be working with the electricity we get from the sockets in the wall.

Wall sockets can be extremely dangerous.

Do not experiment with wall sockets.

It's fun to experiment but I want you to be safe when you do it.

You got that, right?

Do not goof around with wall sockets, they can be dangerous.

This is gonna be fun.

How does electricity work?

All these devices do what they do because of the electric circuits inside of them.

It's true, they need electricity to run, but the electricity is not the whole picture.

It's actually the electrical circuit that makes the magic happen.

An electric circuit, in its simplest form, has three parts.

It has an electric power source, such as batteries, it has some sort of thing that uses the electricity, that might be a motor or a light or a buzzer.

Finally, it has a path for the electrical energy to travel along.

Now, in this picture, there's even a fourth part, a switch.

An electrical circuit doesn't need a switch to work but it comes in handy for shutting things off.

Let's take a closer look at electrical circuits.

Let's start with a basic definition of electricity.

Electricity is simply the movement or flow of electrical energy.

Sometimes it's referred to as the flow of an electrical charge.

And what about a circuit?

What's that?

Well, a circuit is simply a path in which electricity can flow.

If electricity isn't flowing through a path, nothing happens.

Let's take a look at this working circuit.

We can see the different parts.

We have a source of the electrical energy, in this case, it's a battery.

Remember, energy is the ability to do work.

Batteries are devices that convert chemical energy into electrical energy.

Batteries power all sorts of things, from tiny toys to huge trucks.

So we've got the source of electricity, a battery.

In this circuit, the device is a light, but it can be many different things.

Whatever that thing might be, we sometimes refer to it as being the load.

The circuit always has a conductor, that's what we call the wires that carry the electricity.

Sometimes the conductors aren't wired at all.

Sometimes, like on this board, which contains many different circuits the conductor is a strip of metal inside the device.

The conductor in this circuit is simply wire.

Wire conducts electricity.

When a material conducts electricity, it allows electrical energy to travel through it.

There are lots of different things that conduct electricity.

Let's take a look at some of them.

How can we use this circuit to see what kinds of materials are conductive?

Did you say connect the parts with different materials?

I thought so, let's do it.

Do you think these scissors will conduct electricity?

[Speaker] Oh yeah.

(upbeat music continues) Well, it's a metal, we kind of thought it would conduct electricity.

[Speaker] Oh, yeah.

Oh yeah.

Oh no.

Oh no.

Oh no.

You know, now that I think about it, I remember that glass like this does not conduct electricity.

When a material does not conduct electricity, we call it an insulator.

The metal scissors were a conductor but the glass beaker was an insulator.

[Speaker] Oh, no.

Oh, no.

(girl screaming) Oh, no.

As I was experimenting with the different items, I was checking to see which items would close the circuit.

A closed circuit is one that has a complete path through which electrical energy can flow.

This circuit is closed.

This circuit is open.

When a circuit is open, there is no path for electrical energy to flow.

This is what a switch does.

It gives us the ability to open and close a circuit on purpose.

Now that we have an understanding of how an electrical circuit works, let's take things a step further.

In this circuit, you can see I've added an additional light.

There's still a battery, still a switch, and we can still see the wires.

We can still see the path for electrical energy to flow.

Here, I've gotten a a little carried away perhaps, but we're still looking at a series circuit.

There are just a lot more light bulbs.

Now though, I want to show you the problem with a series circuit like this one.

Maybe you've experienced something similar while decorating for the holidays.

(upbeat music continues) You see a circuit like this one only has one path for electrical energy to travel along.

When that path is broken or as we know to say, it opens, the circuit stops working.

This type of circuit is called a series circuit.

All of its components are in a single path.

We say they are in series.

Series circuits, like the one in our string of light bulbs, are really common, but that doesn't mean they're always the best.

If you want a circuit with more than one load, it's oftentimes a good idea to create what is called a parallel circuit, like this one.

This set of lights looks the same as the first, but it's very different.

You probably know that when two things are parallel, they run alongside one another.

This circuit doesn't have any parallel lines but it does have two paths that run alongside each other.

When we look closely, we can see that each bulb has its own path.

This bulb has a continuous path, and this bulb has a continuous path.

I can take one bulb out and the other bulb continues to work.

The individual paths make it so the bulbs work independently.

Simple electrical circuits are super cool, but simple series and parallel circuits are just the foundation of the much, much more complex circuits used in modern electronics.

Most modern electronics, like computer games, TVs, cell phones, use circuit boards.

These circuit boards, often called PCBs, for printed circuit boards, have lots and lots of miniaturized electric circuits.

They are printed on a board like this.

Printed circuit boards are amazing but the principles remain the same.

Electric circuits are a path through which electricity flows.

An electric circuit, in its simplest form, has three parts.

It has an electric power source, such as batteries, it has some sort of load that uses the electricity.

Finally, it has a path for the electrical energy to travel along.

Electrical circuits are a central part of the modern world we live in.

From small and simple to the huge and complicated, electrical circuits are amazing.

Just like you.

(electricity buzzing) (upbeat music) Gracie is my dog, she and I love to play in the woods.

But some things I need to do are important but not very fun.

When I have important things to do, I do them first, I get them out of the way, work first, then play.

I do the important things first before I do the fun things.

It's a really good habit to develop because doing the important thing first ensures it gets done.

If you have homework, but you really want to go play with your friends, do the homework first, reward yourself with play.

If you've been killing it in your favorite video game but you're supposed to wash the dishes, do the dishes first, then play video games.

Feed the dog first, then play.

Clean your room first, then play.

Unload the dishwasher first, then play.

This is a really good habit.

Do the first things, the important things, first.

(dog barking) (upbeat music) Magic is creating the illusion that you can defy the laws of nature.

(bright music) (children cheering) [Speaker] Oh, no.

(children laughing) Oh, wow.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (children laughing) -Wow.

-Cool.

(upbeat music continues) -Wow.

-Did you see that?

(children cheering) [Narrator] Magic is creating the illusion that you can defy the laws of nature.

Science is the study of how the natural world works.

This is science.

(children cheering) (upbeat music) Look at this pile of rubbish.

This garbage, this refuse, this awful heap of tossed out and wasted resources?

-Huh?

-Yeah, resources.

That's right, this is a pile of wasted resources that could have been used in much, much smarter ways.

This is a pile of wonderful, wasted resources.

The Earth is very special in our solar system.

It plus the sun gives us everything we humans need to live.

Earth is huge, but it's only one planet and there is not another one like it in our solar system.

-Oh, no.

-You see, all natural resources come from the Earth and the sun, so they are valuable, very valuable.

There may even be some valuable natural resources in this pile of trash.

So what should we do with this trash?

(person chattering) Hmm, put it in a trash can, you say?

I don't know, what if there were valuable things in this pile that could have been reduced, reused or recycled?

What if we have recyclable or reusable stuff in this pile of trash?

That would be a terrible waste, wouldn't it?

-Uh-huh.

-So let's go back in time and reduce, reuse and recycle some of this trash.

[Speaker] And away we go!

(lively music) (lively music continues) (lively music continues) (lively music continues) Okay, we've reduced, reused, composted and recycled.

And we have this tiny bit of trash left over.

Stuff we can't reduce, reuse, compost, or recycle.

What should we do with this trash?

Put it in a trash can you say?

Yep, that makes sense to me.

[Speaker] And away we go.

(lively music continues) (lively music continues) (lively music continues) Now what should I do with this bag of trash?

Any ideas?

Hmm, send it to the landfill?

Yep, that sounds good to me.

Can you do this in your home?

Yep.

Can you do this in your family car or truck?

Yep.

Can you do this when you're walking in the park?

Yep.

Can you do this at the local sports field?

Yep.

Can you do this at your school?

Yep.

When we get rid of trash properly, it is taken to a sanitary landfill that has environmental safeguards built in to keep the nasty parts, the parts of our trash that can make us sick, out of the air and water.

The trash we send to the landfill stays in the landfill.

But what happens to the trash we don't reduce reuse or recycle or send to the landfill?

-(girl screaming) -Oh no.

-Oh no.

-Oh no.

Did you see what just happened?

People littered.

Those folks just dumped their garbage out into the environment.

This is so uncool because not only does it keep our state from being beautiful, not only does it show a lack of pride in their community, not only can it make the plants and animals and even some people sick, it's not going to stay where you threw it out.

What?

Trash moves?

Yes, everything in our environment is connected so the trash you throw out won't stay where you threw it.

Some people who are careless let litter fly out of their car windows.

Some people even let loose junk fly out of the back of their trucks.

Some people throw trash on the ground at the ballpark or at school, and they believe this is harmless but it is not.

Putting trash into the environment is making pollution.

You may think this pollution is harmless, but it's not because everything in the environment, the streams, creeks, lakes and rivers are connected to the land.

What if lots of people are littering?

What if trash blows out of garbage bins into the gutter and into the creek and into the river?

It goes into the oceans, rivers, or streams.

That's what.

And what if millions of people all over the world are careless with their litter or don't secure their trash?

We end up with billions of tons of plastic in our waterways.

How is that possible?

All land and water on the planet are part of one system.

It's one big system that keeps everything livable on the Earth.

They are connected.

Did you know that one out of three fish caught to be eaten by humans has plastic in its body?

And 100% of baby sea turtles examined by oceanographers have microplastics in their bodies?

That's probably not good for baby sea turtles or any living thing for that matter.

Sea turtles and other animals often confuse plastic bags for jellyfish, and this mistake can be deadly if they eat those plastic bags.

Scientists estimate that over a million animals a year die from litter, either from eating it or getting caught in it.

That seems like a really high price to pay just for the teeny tiny bit of trouble it might be to put trash in the trash can or in the recycling bin.

Our actions have consequences.

It's a cause and effect thing.

The cause, littering, the effect, over a million dead animals.

That's a pretty serious effect from human carelessness.

Most people assume that water pollution comes from chemicals dumped into the water.

But guess what?

Did you know that over half of the water pollution on the planet comes from litter?

It's true because the land is connected to the water, and water is connected to the land.

Everything is connected.

Litter even harms our air.

Loose litter is often burned, which releases all of these chemicals into the air.

Now we've got air pollution which spreads all around the globe because the land is also connected to the air.

Air pollution is one of the world's leading causes of disease.

It affects literally millions of people every day.

Litter can even spread disease and make you sick, whether from humans, animals, bacteria, or parasites, diseases can be passed around from one living thing to another by trash on the ground.

So you see, when the ground, the geosphere is littered, it affects our hydrosphere, that's the water, and our atmosphere, that's the air.

Litter seems harmless, but it's totally not.

Litter hurts our biosphere, which includes all living things, you and me.

Litter literally hurts every living thing.

On a small scale, litter can make a sidewalk ugly.

On a grand scale, litter can cause harm to all of Earth's systems, air, land, and water.

So litter is a problem.

Where do you think litter comes from?

Some litter comes from pedestrians, a fancy word for walking people.

Most litter comes from people in cars because they just toss their trash right out the window or it flies out the back of their truck.

They may not even mean to litter but their carelessness ends up making litter.

The solution to litter is simple, take it with you.

When I walk in nature, I keep any trash with me until I can throw it away properly.

I even bring a little bag with me to pick up litter I find on the ground.

Of course, you never know where that litter has been so I use gloves or a plastic bag instead of touching it directly.

You should do this too.

What about riding in the car?

Some people want to keep the insides of their car completely clean and don't want trash messing it up, me too.

So I keep a little trash bag, you could even use a simple plastic bag in your car.

It doesn't have to be anything fancy.

Every time your parents stop for gas, be the responsible one in your family, gather the trash in your car and throw the trash in the trash can at the gas station.

Make it a habit, do it every time.

The planet will be healthier and you will feel amazing for having protected it from pollution.

Maybe you can participate in local cleanup events in your neighborhood.

Maybe you can spread the news about harmful effects of littering to other people.

The more people that understand how harmful their small actions are, the more they will work to do better.

Remember, every time you recycle something or reuse or throw trash away properly or clean up litter or encourage others to do the same, you are helping our land, air, water, and all of the animals and plants that live here.

You are part of the wicked awesomeness we call planet Earth.

Nothing on our home sweet home planet exists in isolation, everything is connected.

You and I and every person on Earth are connected to the oceans, the lakes, the rivers, the creeks, the forests, the land, the animals, all of the beings here on planet Earth.

So remember, the land is connected to the water, the air is connected to the water.

Everything in nature is connected.

Please do not litter, please reduce, reuse, recycle, and whatever is left over, after you've done that, be sure your trash is placed in a secure trash bin.

This is good for our planet and this is good for you and me.

Thank you, you are awesome.

(upbeat music) And now, something silly.

(lively music) When we get to that point, okay, are we still rolling?

(laughs) Keep coming, here we go.

Something, something, go ahead and break it into two, please.

It gives us the ability to open and close a switch, I'm sorry that was wrong.

When we want to, or something else like that.

-On purpose.

-On purpose, let's break it into two pieces.

Strike this, strike that, keep this.

You take this.

Okay, you can take that, all right?

And this is kinda heavy now.

(upbeat music) [Speaker] Biologically, chemically, atomically, everything is connected.

♪ Everything is connected ♪ [Narrator] Major funding for this program provided by Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, Keep Alabama Beautiful, and Northrop Grumman.

♪ Yes, the ocean is deep ♪ ♪ And the sky is so high ♪ ♪ And the Earth is so wide ♪ ♪ It's a mystery ♪ ♪ But deep down, everyone knows ♪ ♪ Everything is ♪