Static Electricity

The Bear Adventure, Super Science has us experimenting with static electricity.

Static electricity is one of those phenomenons that is just fun to play with. From making a balloon stick to the wall all by itself, shuffling your feet on the carpet to shock your brother or sister when you touch their arm, or rubbing a balloon on your hair and slowly pulling it away to watch all the hairs on your head stand up.

I use to have a pair of flip flops that when worn at the grocery store I frequented, would create a ton of static electricity when a walked through the isles (I kind of shuffle when I walk…), And every time I went to place my hands back onto the handle of the shopping cart, a jolt of static electricity would snap.

One experiment that is fun to do is sorting salt and pepper with static electricity.

Items Needed:

• Balloon

• Felt blanket / or your hair

• Salt

• Pepper

• Plate

First, sprinkle some salt and pepper onto the plate. Next, take your inflated balloon and charge it with static electricity by rubbing it on your hair or onto a fleece blanket. Finally, hover your charged balloon over the salt and pepper and see the outcome.

Why is it only the pepper that is attracted to the balloon? Both the salt and the pepper are attracted to the charged balloon. It’s only the pepper that is light enough to be picked up.