Everything around us is made up of atoms and combinations of these atoms. The center of each atom is called a nucleus, which contains two kinds of tiny particles called protons and neutrons. Orbiting the nucleus are even smaller particles called electrons.
The protons and neutrons are held together very tightly. Normally, the nucleus does not change. However, some of the outer electrons in an atom are held very loosely and can move from one atom to another.
Static Electricity is created when electrons move from the atoms of one item to another (like hair and a comb).
Some types of atoms hold their electrons very tightly. Materials made from these atoms are called insulators like cloth, plastic, glass and dry air. Other atoms have a weak bond with their electrons. Materials made from these atoms are conductors, like metal.
Two items with opposite, or different charges (one positive and one negative) will attract, or pull toward each other. Things with the same charge (two positives or two negatives) will repel, or push away from each other.
A charged object will also attract something that is neutral. If it is a conductor, many electrons move easily through it towards a positive charge. If it is an insulator, the electrons in the atoms and molecules can only move very slightly to one side. In either case, there are more positive charges closer to the negative object. Opposites attract.
So what does all this have to do with static electric shock? Think about taking a wool hat off your head. As it rubs your hair, electrons move from your hair to the hat. Each hair has lost electrons creating a positive charge. Items with the same charge try to move away from each other. In this case, the hairs all try to stand up and move as far apart as possible.
STATIC ELECTRICITY EXPERIMENTS
"Mouth Lightning"
YOU'LL NEED: "Wint-O- Green" or "Pep-O-Mint" lifesavers, a dark room
INSTRUCTIONS: Enter a really dark room and wait a few moments until your eyes get accustomed to the darkness. Then pop a "Wint-O- Green" or "Pep-O-Mint" lifesaver into your mouth. While keeping your mouth open, break up the lifesaver with your teeth and look for sparks. If you do it right, you should see little bluish flashes of light.
WHY?: When you break the candy apart, you're breaking apart sugars inside the candy. The sugars release little electrical charges into the air. These charges attract oppositely charged nitrogen in the air. When the two meet, they react in a tiny spark that you can see.
Move a Soda Can
You will need:
Empty soda can
Instructions:
Put the can on its side on a table or the floor--anyplace that's flat and smooth. Hold it with your finger until it stays still.
Rub the balloon back and forth on your hair really fast.
Hold the balloon about an inch in front of the can. The can will start to roll, even though you're not touching it!
Move the balloon away from the can -- slowly -- and the can will follow the balloon.
If you move the balloon to the other side of the can, the can will roll in the other direction.
How fast will the can roll? How far can you roll it before the can stops? Will it roll uphill?
If you have some friends with cans and balloons, you can have a race across the room or down the sidewalk.
