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The “Floating Light” is part of the FabConnectHer project, which supports young women in learning new skills in science, technology, engineering, art, and maths (STEAM). In this lesson, students make a glowing bottle that floats, using tonic water, an LED blacklight, a solar panel, a battery, and an Arduino.
The project brings together renewable energy, coding, and chemistry in a fun and creative way. Students learn how sunlight is turned into energy, how to program Arduino to control lights, and how tonic water glows under blacklight. They also practise building circuits and working safely with electronics.
The lesson is designed for high school and college students, especially girls and young women aged 15–30, working in small groups. By the end, each group has made their own floating glowing bottle, tested it, and thought of ways to improve it. The activity builds confidence, teamwork, and creativity while showing how technology and science can be both useful and fun.
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Safety Precaution & tips:
This activity gives students a chance to combine science, technology, and creativity in one project. By making a floating glowing bottle, they see how renewable energy, coding, and chemistry can work together in a fun and useful way. Students learn to handle real tools and materials, practise programming, and understand how solar energy can power electronic devices.
The process encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and trying out different solutions when things don’t work right the first time. Students gain confidence by seeing their own ideas turn into a working product. In the end, they not only create a glowing bottle but also understand how the skills they practised can be used in other projects that connect technology with sustainability.
In this session, students are introduced to the floating light project and its key components. They learn how solar panels create energy, how Arduino can control an LED, and why tonic water glows under blacklight. Students then prepare their bottles by filling and sealing them with tonic water, and begin setting up the solar panel, battery, and Arduino connections. By the end of the session, they have a prepared bottle and the first steps of their circuit ready.
Step 1: Introduction (15 minutes)
Step 2: Preparing the Bottle (20 minutes)
Step 3: Setting Up the Solar Panel, Battery and Arduino (25 minutes)
In this session, students are introduced to the Arduino IDE and learn the basics of programming. They write and upload simple code to control the LED blacklight with input from the solar panel. After coding, students connect the LED to the Arduino using a breadboard and resistors, and test their setup to make sure the light responds correctly. By the end of the session, they have a working program and circuit that link renewable energy with coding.
Step 1: Introduction to Arduino IDE (15 minutes)
Step 2: Writing the Code (30 minutes)
Step 3: Connecting the LED and Testing (15 minutes)
In this session, students complete the final build of their floating light project. They secure the LED blacklight inside or outside the bottle, fill it with tonic water, and make sure all connections are waterproof. After placing the electronics in a safe container and adding floating support, they test the project in sunlight to activate the solar panel. Students observe the glowing effect, check the floating system, and ensure everything works as planned. By the end of the session, each group has a fully working floating light in a bottle.
Step 1: Finalizing the Assembly (20 minutes)
Step 2: Testing the Project (20 minutes)
In the final part of the lesson, students reflect on their project, sharing what worked well and what challenges they faced. They are encouraged to suggest improvements or new ideas for future versions of the floating light. The teacher highlights how the skills learned—renewable energy, coding, and building with microcontrollers—can also be used in many other creative and sustainable projects.
Explain how the concepts learned can be applied to other projects involving renewable energy and microcontrollers.
Students can expand the project by trying out new bottle shapes, adding creative code for different light effects, or using extra sensors to make the design interactive. The light does not need to float—it can also be used as a glowing standalone object, working well in dark or icy settings.
Students and teachers can find further inspiration and guidance through external resources. The Light Challenge shows creative examples of light projects in cities, while the Arduino website offers tutorials and hardware ideas for programming. A solar light installation guide gives practical tips for working with solar technology, and the watertight solution link provides options for safely protecting electronic components in outdoor or floating projects.
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