Is Water Charged?
Purpose: To apply our knowledge of charges from the Sticky Tape experiment to
understand properties of water.
Materials:
 Cup (plastic or wax) with
hole in bottom
 Bucket
 Beaker
 Ring Stand
 Glass Flask
 Styrofoam Cup
 Piece of
Felt/Fleece/Wool
Procedure:
1) Set up the materials as pictured above. Be sure that the bucket is below the
cup and the cup starts with no water.
2) Once the cup is set up have one partner rub a piece of felt on the Styrofoam
cup for 30 seconds while the other partner uses the beaker to fill the cup
with water.
3) Once you have rubbed the Styrofoam cup for 30sec bring it close to the
stream of water but don’t touch the water. RECORD your observations.
4) Next repeat step 2 but rub the glass flask with the felt instead.
5) Then bring the glass close to the stream of water without touching it and
RECORD your observations.
6) Try to repeat this a couple of time and then answer the questions below in
your journal.
Observations and Reflection:
Materials Moved Toward Water
Observations
Styrofoam Cup
Glass Flask
1) In this experiment the Styrofoam picks up a negative charge and the Glass
picks up a positive charge. Draw a picture using + to show positive charge
and – to show negative charges of what is happening with the Styrofoam,
glass and water in this experiment.
2) If water moves as you observed explain what must be true about water for it
to have behaved the way it does.
3) What other objects experience charge? How do you know?
Is Water Charged?
Purpose: To apply our knowledge of charges from the Sticky Tape experiment to
understand properties of water.
Materials:
 Cup (plastic or wax) with
hole in bottom
 Bucket
 Beaker
 Ring Stand
 Glass Flask
 Styrofoam Cup
 Piece of
Felt/Fleece/Wool
Procedure:
7) Set up the materials as pictured above. Be sure that the bucket is below the
cup and the cup starts with no water.
8) Once the cup is set up have one partner rub a piece of felt on the Styrofoam
cup for 30 seconds while the other partner uses the beaker to fill the cup
with water.
9) Once you have rubbed the Styrofoam cup for 30sec bring it close to the
stream of water but don’t touch the water. RECORD your observations.
10)Next repeat step 2 but rub the glass flask with the felt instead.
11)Then bring the glass close to the stream of water without touching it and
RECORD your observations.
12)Try to repeat this a couple of time and then answer the questions below in
your journal.
Observations and Reflection:
Materials Moved Toward Water
Observations
Styrofoam Cup
Glass Flask
4) In this experiment the Styrofoam picks up a negative charge and the Glass
picks up a positive charge. Draw a picture using + to show positive charge
and – to show negative charges of what is happening with the Styrofoam,
glass and water in this experiment.
5) If water moves as you observed explain what must be true about water for it
to have behaved the way it does.
6) What other objects experience charge? How do you know?