Is it really possible for pepper to defy gravity? Well, with static electricity it is! This is a super simple experiment that will teach you little ones about electrical charges. Take a look at the video, and when you’re ready, check out the instructions below so you can do it yourself at home!
In this experiment, we used towels fresh out of the dryer because we knew they would hold a ton of static! Have you ever shocked yourself grabbing a load of laundry out of the dryer? That was static electricity too!
Experiment Instructions
For printer-friendly instructions for this experiment, click HERE to download the lesson plan.
What’s the STEAM?
So, what’s the science behind this experiment? According to Dictionary.com, static electricity is a stationary electric charge, typically produced by friction, which causes sparks or crackling or the attraction of dust or hair.
When we rub the balloon on the towel, an electric charge is transferred from the towel to the balloon. With the balloon now “charged” we were able to attract the pepper. If we rubbed the balloon on an object that didn’t have a charge to transfer, the balloon didn’t charge and did not attract the pepper to itself. Charges are either positive, negative, or neutral. Positive and negative charges are attracted to each other while neutral charges neither attract nor repel. In science, a positive charge is called a proton, a negative charge is called an electron and a neutral charge is called a neutron.
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