Activity Overview
This science experiment can be done in a flash with only a few simple household items that you are likely to have on hand. Budding scientists will certainly spark the interest of family members when they perform this science experiment about static electricity.
In this experiment, electric charges will pass from one object to another resulting in a spark which you will see when the person touches the metal lid. This is because the touch of your partner's finger made the electrical charge of the newspaper jump to the uncharged metal lid much like lightning jumps from cloud to cloud or to the ground.
Materials Needed
- A small piece of plastic wrap
- A sheet of newspaper
- Metal top from a can
- A Partner
How to Do It
- Take the sheet of newspaper and the plastic wrap and rub it together vigorously for 45 seconds.
- Next, have one person hold the newspaper out flat by its edges and have the other person place the metal lid in the center of the sheet of newspaper.
- Have the person who is not holding the newspaper, touch their finger to the metal lid and observe what happens.
