No.245
Lift Paper with Static Electricity
Japanese name: 静電気で紙を持ち上げよう
Materials
- A plastic drinking straw
- Kitchen paper or a dry cloth
- Small, light pieces of thin paper
- A shallow box
How to play
- Tear thin paper into pieces about 2 cm across and put several in the shallow box. Use the straw as a rubbing tool and never put it in your mouth.
- Before rubbing, bring the straw near the paper and observe. Check once whether it can lift a piece without touching it.
- Rub the straw in the same direction about ten times with dry paper or cloth, then immediately bring it slowly towards the pieces. Watch how the paper is attracted.
- Return any attached pieces to the box one at a time. If nothing moves, rub again, try lighter paper or check whether the work surface is damp.
- Change only the paper size and compare what happens. Discuss your observations to finish. Collect all paper pieces, then count and put away the straws.
Ways to adapt
Younger primary school children: observe before and after. Older primary school children: compare one changed condition at a time.