Erratic Static

[15 Minutes]

June is an exciting month and brings with lots of special “dress up” occasions, like weddings, proms and graduations. Have you ever had a problem with static electricity? When you finally don that pretty dress or fancy suit, it can be extremely irritating to have that fabric sticking a little too close for comfort. Just how does that happen? Try this easy activity and see.

You'll need:

• two books, the same size, with few pages • a piece of heavy glass, at least the size of one of the books • a few small pieces of torn tissue paper • a piece of silk cloth

What to do:

1. If possible, print out these directions. Read them through before you begin.
2. Gather everything you need and always remember science safety.
3. Place the two books on a table beside each other, leaving a space of about four inches between them.
4. In that space, place the torn bits of tissue paper.
5. Place the glass on top of the books and over the space that holds the tissue paper.
6. With quick strokes, rub the glass with the cloth.
7. What happens?

How to use:

1. Here are some questions to think about:

   What would it be like if you tried a variety of cloths?

   
   Try combing your hair with a plastic comb and then holding it over the tissue. What happens?
   Try changing your movement on the glass. Does it change the result?

Useful information:

Believe it or not, by rubbing the silk on the glass, you produced electricity. You actually rubbed the electrons off of the glass, creating a positive charge on the pane of glass. The little pieces of paper have negative charges, which are attracted to the positive on the glass (opposites attract!). Believe it or not, some static electricity that you hear on the radio is caused by static electricity, as is “snow” on the television. What is lightening? One big charge of, you guessed it, static electricity. So next time you get stuck to your party dress or pants, just tell your friends you’re participating in a science experiment!