How to Make a Homemade Electronic Quiz Board

Electronic quiz boards are not only a useful tool for learning a series of simple questions, but they are a good way to learn about simple electric circuits. An electronic quiz board’s light will light up only when you make a connection between the question and its correct answer. Make your own quiz board to help you study for a test, or build one to show off your electrical knowledge.

List six math problems or word problems down the left side of a sheet of card stock. In the right-hand column, list the answers. Make sure you scramble the order of the answers. Glue the sheet of card stock to a heavier sheet of cardboard.

Use your hole punch to punch six holes down each side of the cardboard sheet. Make sure the holes line up with each question and answer.

Cut off a light bulb from a string of Christmas lights, leaving about six inches of wire on either side of your bulb. Use a pair of wire strippers to remove the green plastic coating and expose the ends of both pieces of wire.

Cut a long, thin strip of aluminum foil and fold it so it is roughly the same width as the diameter of your punched-out holes. Thread the aluminum foil from the back side of the cardboard into one of the question holes. Thread the loose end up through the corresponding answer hole. The aluminum foil should stick out just slightly from each hole. Cover the entire aluminum strip with electrical tape against the back of the cardboard. Make sure the only foil that is exposed is the two ends poking through the holes.

Repeat the above step to connect all the holes with aluminum wires.

Align your two batteries so the positive terminal of one battery is touching the negative terminal of the other. Then, secure the two batteries together by wrapping a rubber band lengthwise around them. Finally, wrap a strip of electrical tape in the middle where the batteries touch.

Cut two strips of aluminum foil that measure 1-by-10 inches in length. Fold them both in half, lengthwise and then secure them to the exposed terminals of the batteries. To do this, slide them underneath the elastic band on both terminals.

Attach one of the aluminum wires extending from the battery to one of the wires of the light bulb. Make sure the copper wire of the light bulb is touching the foil and use tape to secure the two ends together. Attach a paper clip on the light bulb’s second wire and then attach another paper clip on the end of your aluminum wire that is connected to the battery. Wrap tape around each separate end to secure the paper clip in place.

Touch one of the paper clips to the foil sticking out of a question hole and the other paper clip to the appropriate answer. If the light bulb lights, you have found the correct answer.