Spectra's Current Crisis (2016)

Download Spectra 8, Spectra's Current Crisis here, and read about her tussle with the nefarious Terminal Twins! If you would like to download the teacher's manual, including the activities, click here.

About Spectra's Current Crisis

Andy and Cathy Terminal, two slick hucksters, have come to Lucy's town pitching the latest and greatest in electromagnetic entertainment—the Magno-Go-Round! But at the same time, a mysterious man in a white suit is overheard talking about scamming the town for all it's worth. Something's amiss, and it's up to Lucy and her friends to find out what!

This kit has all of the equipment needed to teach students about circuits and conductivity, electric current and its relationship to magnetism, and the way our eyes see color! As the students do these activities, they will be applying all the skills they need to help Spectra and her friends solve the mystery of the man in the white suit, and foil the Terminal Twins' plot.

If you'd like to purchase a kit for Spectra's Current Crisis or copies of any of our comic books, please visit our online store. 

Answers:

Activity 1: Magnetic Merry-Go-Round
Answer: The nail spins clockwise when...
-The north side of the magnet is on the nail head and the nail is hanging from the positive side.
OR
-The south side of the magnet is on the nail head and the nail is hanging from the negative side. 

Activity 2: One Goes Out & They All Go Out!
Answer: When LED 1 was removed from the circuit in Circuit Diagram 4, the current still had a path from positive to negative through LED 2 and LED 3. 

Activity 3: Dim the Lights
Answer: As the distance from the battery increased, the LED gets dimmer. The LED is brighter overall with a thicker line.

Activity 4: Black & Blue or White & Gold?
Answer: In blue light, blue beads look white and red beads look black. In Red light, red beads look white and blue beads look black—just like Andy's suit! 

If you weren't able to receive a kit this year you can still be part of the fun. Download the manual and create your own kit!

Download the teacher's manual for Spectra 8: Current Crisis