Wiring A Plug
Time
1.3 hrs
Difficulty
Intermediate
Prerequisites
Electrical Circuits
Departments
Human Technologies
Authors
Ross Parker
Groupings
Individual
Pairs
Pairs
Minimum Year Group
None
Blurb
When electronics fail, it is often only the plug that has broken. This unit teaches the practical skill of knowing how to change a plug, which is useful in such cases.
License
This work is shared under the following license: Creative Commons BY-SA-NC
Outline
| The Pitch Why should I bother learning this?
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| Resources What is needed to run this unit?
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Interdisciplinary Links Do not try and force this. What areas of other subjects might this reflect and/discuss language. For IB, links with ToK.
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| Teacher Reflection What was successful? What needs changing? Alternative Assessments and Lesson Ideas? What other Differentiation Ideas/Plans could be used?
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| Credits Any CC attribution, thanks, credit, etc.
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5 mins
Mad Skillz
The Pitch
- When electronics fail, it is often only the plug that has broken.
- Why pay someone else to fix it, or throw the thing away, when you can change the plug yourself?
5 mins
Safety
Let's Be Careful Here
- Electricity kills! Make no mistake, this is dangerous stuff.
- UNDER NO CONDITION PLUG IN YOUR CABLE DURING THIS EXERCISE!
- Please discuss safety with your teacher before going any further in this unit.
10 mins
What You Need
Tool Box
- To get started, assemble the following equipment from the tool box and supply draws, asking your teacher for anything you cannot find.
- Fused, replacement 3-prong plug
- Medium size Philips head screwdrivers
- Flat head screw drivers (not needed for all plug types)
- Scissors or wire strippers
- Electrical tape
- Length of electrical wire
40 mins
Changing The Plug
Hands On
In this unit you will take a cable, insulate one end, and then put a plug on the other. Get started, using the instructions below:
- Take your cable, and make sure one end is fully insulated (covered with electrical tape), in case it gets plugged in (which should never happen in this unit).
- If the other end has a plug on it already, cut it off, and put it aside to clean up later.
- Take your replacement plug, and remove the cuff/cable clamp (which holds the electrical cord in place)
- Strip around 3-4 cm (depending on the plug design) from the end of the outer layer of the cord.
- Cut the earth wire (green and yellow) to fit the available space, and then strip away 5mm of insulation from the end of the earth wire.
- Attach the earth wire to the earth pin.
- Fix the electrical cord to the plug using the cuff.
- Repeat Step 5. for the remaining wires (remember, the BLue cable goes in the Bottom Left, and the BRown cable in the Bottom Right).
- Make sure there are no lose wires, and the case fits snuggling on top.
- Screw the case into place
If you are more of a visual learner, the following video might help make this all clearer:
10 mins
What's A Fuse
Genius!
- A fuse is a safety device that protects devices from electrical surges and other malfunctions.
- Fuses come in many forms, including these:
- Sometimes, the whole plug is not broken, but just the fuse: you can swap in a fuse with the same colour (power rating), to see if it is the fuse, or some other part of the plug that is broken.
- Can you identify the fuse in your plug?
10 mins
Finishing Up
Evidence
- Take a photo of your completed plug and cable, and submit it to this unit as evidence (along with the usual short reflection on this unit).
There are no records to display.
