It’s Shocking! Static Electricity Experiments
Synopsis
The purpose of this inquiry-based lab/lesson is to have students
conduct several experiments to learn about static electricity.
Background
From this lab, students should develop an understanding that charged objects
create an invisible electric force field around themselves. The strength of this
field depends on many things, including the amount of charge, distance
involved, and shape of the objects. Specifically, they should know that the
greater the charges, the stronger the force field and the greater the distance,
the weaker the force the force field.
Static electricity is the imbalance of positive and negative charges. The
students should understand that there are two kinds of electrical conditions
called plus and minus but at this level, they do not need to have understanding
of atoms, electrons, and protons. Usually, items are neutral but rubbing two
things together can cause one item to have a plus charge and the other to have
a minus charge.
An object that is charged has an electric force field coming from the surface.
This field will mildly attract neutral objects and will strongly attract an object
that has an opposite charge on its surface. If two objects have the same
charge, the electrical force field will cause those objects to push away from
each other. A reference can be made to the north and south poles of magnets
if the students have experience with magnets. If two objects of the same
material are treated in the same way (e.g. two balloons rubbed with wool), they
will have the same charges and will repel each other. Only if they are treated
differently will they attract each other.
A charged object will also attract something that is neutral. When you stick a
balloon to a wall, you charge the balloon by rubbing it on your hair, which
causes the balloon to pick up extra electrons giving it a negative charge.
Holding near a neutral object will make the charges in that wall move and the
negative charges in the wall move as from the balloon as possible. This makes
more positive charges close to the negative balloon at the balloon will stick
until the electrons slowly leak off. After rubbing the balloon on your hair, your
hair sticks up because the individual hairs lost electrons, are now all positively
charged and since things with the same charge repel each other, they try to get
as far away from each other as possible. When you walk across a rug, electrons
move from the rug to you. When you touch a doorknob or something else, the
electrons move from you to the knob and you get a shock because they are
discharged so quickly.
ParrishMary
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:04:39 AM ET
Objectives
1. Students will conduct 4 experiments to learn about static electricity.
2. Students will become more familiar with the scientific method.
3. Students will develop writing skills by completing the required sections
for each experiment.
4. Students will develop inquiry skills by developing their own testable
question and experiment.
Suggested Timeline
Day one. Student experiments. 50 min.
Day two. Discussion of experiments and presentation of important points. 20
min.
Materials (for each group)
• Balloons (one loose, one on a string approx 1-1.5m long)
• Empty soda can
• Confetti (or very small pieces of paper)
• Plastic grocery bags (2)
• Wool fabric (2 pieces)
• Plastic Comb
• Salt and Pepper (one small restaurant package per group or use
shakers for the entire class)
Teaching Tips
Warm-up: (use any or all)
1. Have you ever been shocked after walking on a rug or putting on a
sweater? What do you think caused the shock?
2. Why do you think clothes stick together when they come out of the dryer?
3. What other experiences have you had with static electricity?
Introduce the lab by saying that they will be conducting some experiments to
learn more about static electricity and electric charges. Explain that for each
experiment, they will need to complete the seven sections that are each part of
the scientific method. For some of the experiments, sections have been
completed for them.
ParrishMary
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:04:39 AM ET
It’s Shocking!
Static Electricity Experiments
Have you ever been shocked after you walked across a rug? Have you seen clothes stick to
each other after you remove them from the dryer? Have you stuck a balloon to a wall
after rubbing it on your hair? All of these things have to do with static electricity but
what is it and how does it happen?
Complete the following for each experiment:
• Question- what is the testable question?
• Observations- what are two observations about the materials?
• Hypothesis- what is your prediction?
• Materials- what did you use?
• Procedure- what did you do?
• Data- what happened? Draw a diagram and label it.
• Conclusion- why/how do you think that happened?
Available Materials
Balloons (one loose, one on a string)
Empty soda can
Confetti
Plastic bag
Wool fabric
Comb
String
ParrishMary
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:04:39 AM ET
Water Faucet
cereal (Cheerios, puffed rice, etc)
Salt
Pepper
Flour
Sugar
It’s Shocking!
Experiment 1
Testable Question: Can you use a balloon or a comb to pick up confetti?
Observations: (Record two observations of your own.)
1. The balloon is rubbery.
2. The confetti is really small.
3.
4.
Hypothesis: (Do you agree with the below hypothesis? If not formulate your own.)
The wool fabric will make the confetti stick to the balloon.
Yes
or
No
Materials:
Balloon or Comb
Wool fabric
Confetti
Procedure:
1. Sprinkle the confetti onto the table.
2. Rub the comb or one side of the balloon with the wool fabric.
3. Bring the comb or that side of the balloon down toward the confetti but do not
touch any of the pieces of paper.
Data:
Conclusion:
ParrishMary
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:04:39 AM ET
It’s Shocking!
Experiment 2
Testable Question: Can you make two balloons repel (move away from) each other?
Observations:
1.
2.
Hypothesis:
Materials:
Balloons (one loose, one on a string)
Wool fabric
Procedure:
1. Have one person hold the string tied to one balloon at arms length.
2. Rub that balloon with the wool fabric.
3. Rub the other balloon with the same wool fabric.
4. Bring the loose balloon close to the balloon on the string.
Data:
Conclusion:
ParrishMary
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:04:39 AM ET
It’s Shocking!
Experiment 3
Testable Question: Can you make a balloon or comb attract (move towards) water?
Observations:
1.
2.
Hypothesis:
Materials:
Balloons (one loose, one on a string)
Wool fabric
Plastic bag
Procedure:
1.
Turn on the faucet so that the water runs out in a small, steady stream, about 1/8
inch thick.
2. Charge the comb by running it through long, dry hair several times or rub it
vigorously on a sweater.
3. Slowly bring the comb near the water and watch the water "bend."
4. Now repeat steps 1-3 using a charged balloon. (balloon rubbed with the wool)
Data:
Conclusion:
ParrishMary
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:04:39 AM ET
It’s Shocking!
Experiment 4
Testable Question: Can you make a piece of cereal move without touching it?
Observations:
1.
2.
Hypothesis:
Materials:
Procedure:
1. Tie a piece of the cereal to one end of a 12 inch piece of thread. Find a place to
attach the other end so that the cereal does not hang close to anything else. (You
can tape the thread to the edge of a table but check with your parents first.)
2. Wash the comb to remove any oils and dry it well.
3. Charge the comb by running it through long, dry hair several times, or vigorously
rub the comb on a wool sweater.
4. Slowly bring the comb near the cereal. It will swing to touch the comb. Hold it still
until the cereal jumps away by itself.
5. Now try to touch the comb to the cereal again. It will move away as the comb
approaches.
Data:
Conclusion:
ParrishMary
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:04:39 AM ET
It’s Shocking!
Experiment 5
Testable Question:
Observations:
1.
2.
Hypothesis:
Materials:
Procedure:
Data:
Conclusion:
ParrishMary
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:04:39 AM ET