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Science Experiments

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Here are a couple of examples of science experiments you can do to help your students understand electricity and static electricity:

• First science experiment: swinging cereal

You will need a hard rubber or plastic comb, or a balloon, thread, small pieces of dry cereal in O-shapes, or puffed rice or wheat.

The piece of the cereal is tied to one end of a piece of thread measured out to exactly twelve inches. Attach the other end somewhere, so that the cereal does not hang too close to anything else. For example: tape the thread to the edge of a table or counter. Then you will have the students wash the combs so they are not oily at all—and be sure to dry them well. Then vigorously rub the comb or balloon on something made of wool. (like a sweater or lambs wool from a dance supply store). –You can achieve the same effect by running the comb through long hair several times. Now slowly bring the comb or balloon near the cereal. The cereal will swing towards the comb. Ask the students to hold the comb still until the cereal jumps away by itself. Then, have the students try to touch the comb or balloon to the cereal again. The cereal will move away from the comb or balloon.

What happened:
Rubbing the comb or balloon on the wool moved electrons to your comb or balloon and gave it a negative charge. The neutral cereal was attracted to it, but when they touched, the electrons slowly moved from the comb to the cereal. Now both the balloon or comb and the cereal had the same negative charge, and the cereal was repelled instead of drawn to the cereal.

• Second science experiment: Bending water

You will need a hard rubber or plastic comb, or a balloon, and a sink and water faucet.

Turn on the water faucet so the water is running out in a small, steady stream, about on eighth of an inch thick (approximately). Charge the comb or balloon by running it through long, dry hair several times or rub it vigorously on a sweater or any other kind of wool—just like you did in the first science experiment. Then bring the comb or balloon near the water and the water will actually "bend" toward the comb or balloon.

What happened:
The neutral water was attracted to the charged comb. Because of the negative charge in the balloon or comb, the water moved towards it.

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