Summary
Ciao, Mr. mouse. Adios crusty keyboard. These days, the power to control most any computer is already in the palm of your hand. Well, actually, your fingers. Touch screens are now the main way we interact with our smart phones and tablets, laptops and desktop displays. They all rely on the fact that our fingers conduct electricity! Charged particles, known as ions, are constantly coursing through our bodies, just raring to react with other charged objects—like the screens on tablets and smart phones. Beneath every touch screen sits a grid of microscopic wires that build up a stored charge, generating an invisible electrical field. When fingertip touches tablet, ions in the finger interact with the charged screen, distorting the electrical field. Devices track these spikes and dips in the current, translating them into the clicks and swipes that open apps, snap selfies, and type out texts. Watch Tim and Moby take the gloves off and dive into this touchy subject.
Viewer safety
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Touch Screens:
- What is one new thing you learned about touch screens?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining touch screens.
- Draw or give one example of your own.