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Ammeter mixup in Exploring Properties—Electric Squeeze activity in NanoDays 2014 kits

Catherine McCarthy

Due to an ordering mix-up with one of our suppliers, NISE Network partners receiving NanoDays 2014 physical kits may have received the wrong ammeter. The ammeter in question is part of the Exploring Properties—Electric Squeeze activity. Some of the NanoDays kits erroneously contained a 50 amp (A) ammeter, when they all should have contained a 50 microamp (µA) ammeter. The NanoDays team is currently working to fix this problem. 250 of the correct ammeters will ship to partners by the end of February.

In the meantime, partners who received NanoDays 2014 physical kits, please check your kit to see if you received the incorrect ammeter (images attached). You will know it is the wrong ammeter if it says amps or amperes on the face instead of microamps or µA. If you do have the wrong ammeter, do not use it with the activity! It is not sensitive enough to measure the small amount of current that the piezoelectric material generates. Please do not return the incorrect ammeter to us. You are welcome to keep the incorrect ammeter, but we recommend you remove it from the kit, so that staff or volunteers do not use it by accident.

ammeter incorrect for Exploring Properties -Electric Squeeze activity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1. Incorrect ammeter  - 50 amp (A)

ammeter correct for Exploring Properties -Electric Squeeze activity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 2. Correct ammeter - 50 microamp (µA)

If you received the correct ammeter in your kit (see figure 2), then then go ahead and use the activity as is. You will still receive a new ammeter in the mail. You do not need to return either of the ammeters to us.

We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this mix-up may have caused you and thank you for your patience and for all your efforts to engage the public in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology!


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The new 2014 NanoDays digital kit materials are available for download!

Digital kits are free, downloadable materials available to anyone. The digital version of the kit is designed particularly for international locations outside the United States, K-12 educators, libraries, and other educational organizations. Many of the activities use inexpensive, readily available supplies. You do not need to fill out an application for a digital kit; however, you do need to have a profile on nisenet.org and log in to download these resources.