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Faraday Flashlight - How Shake Flashlights Work?

- 8:12 PM
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Have you ever heard of a magic shake flashlight? Check out our breakdown of the famous Faraday Flashlight and find out if they are legit.

What Is The Point Of A Shake Flashlight?



A shake flashlight or a Faraday Flashlight does not require batteries. This just seems like a scam until you figure out how the light works. This can be a huge relief to someone who does not want to worry about buying new batteries every time they turn around. Not to mention maybe your in a situation such a random blackout and make your way to your flashlight only to find out your batteries are dead. 

How Does A Faraday Flashlight Work



It's called a Faraday flashlight because it's based on Faraday's law. This is sometimes referred to as Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction. The most important things you will find inside the flashlight is a copper wire coil with somewhere in the thousands of windings.  As well as a permanent magnet which is to the left or right of the coil depending on which direction you tilt the flashlight. This is because the magnet slides through the coil wire when tilted or shaken.

The power that is generated each time you shake the flashlight will vary depending on this magnet and the number of windings of the copper wire. The stronger the magnet is the more power it will produce.


The higher the number of windings of the copper wire the more power is generated from each shake.

You will also find a simple circuit. I will explain where the simple circuit comes into play in just a moment. When there's a changing magnetic field in the flashlights wire coil there will be an induced current. The induced current is then sent in a direction to create a magnetic field that opposed the changing magnetic field that was created as a result of the magnet sliding through the wire coil. The current that is created by the process of the magnet sliding through the coil is taking by the simple circuit I mentioned before. The simple circuit then charges a capacitor. Finally, the capacitor acts as the power source for the flashlight. The quality of capacitors will vary among flashlights. However, I can tell the higher the quality the longer the light will shine. Also, the type of bulb that is being used is also important in regard to how long the flashlight will shine. Usually, a low watt LED used due to their low power demand.

Quick Summary 

The magnet goes back and forth through the center of a copper wire coil each time you shake the flashlight. This process generates an electrical current that is used to charge up the capacitor. The capacitor is then is usually used to power an LED light. These flashlights are actually very simple mechanically.

The current pushes the wire along, pushing the magnet further away from the light source. Eventually, the magnet begins to move away from the light source as well.

The flashlight's circuit works by producing alternating current and then applying the magnetic force to the wire through the light source, which causes the wire to turn toward the signal source (the light). This causes the current to be reversed, which pulls the wire to the light, causing an oscillation. The oscillating wire then reconnects to an adjacent wire, causing the current to flow back to an "on" state.

At that point, the current flows back to the first wire, causing the second wire to become electrically connected with the light. This time, the voltage is reversed, causing the switch to close. A short circuit is then formed, and the light begins to illuminate.
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