Here’s a science fair project that kids have a lot of fun with. It is very easy and visual. Youngsters may not understand the concept of electrons yet, but it is good to let them try, and then the explanation will be much easier since they are already familiar with the effects. This is an easy, quick, and easy science fair project to do!
The science fair projects kids always enjoy are the ones that are fun and easy to do and they don’t get easier than this! It might be an easy science fair project, but they’ll learn a lot from it.
What is static electricity?
Questions you should be able to answer once you have completed this experiment:
- When you rub a balloon on your jacket, what happens between the balloon and the jacket?
- What happens to the puffed wheat or rice when the balloon is placed directly on top of it?
- Why do you think fluffed wheat or rice jumps?
- Why does the wheat or rice stick to the balloon only for a short time?
- Why doesn’t the puffed wheat or rice jump up and cling to the second balloon you didn’t rub on your jacket?
- Why do you have to do the second part of the experiment?
- what is it called
- What is the correct scientific method?
What you need for this experiment:
- 2 blow up balloons
- Jacket
- A bowl of puffed wheat or rice
- Diary
- pencil
- camera
Your project steps:
- Rub the balloon on your jacket
- Hold the balloon slightly above the bowl with the puffed wheat or rice
- Now take the other balloon and stick it on top of the puffed wheat or rice without rubbing it on your jacket first
- Get someone to help you take notes throughout the entire project and make sure you take a picture of each step for your screen
Your conclusion:
You control the second balloon that you don’t rub against your jacket. Shows you what happens if you do nothing to the balloon.
This is a very important part of the scientific method as you always have to prove that what you did made the difference and that what happened could not have happened anyway. I mean without you to do anything. So you have to prove that the puffed wheat or rice wouldn’t have jumped the balloon if you hadn’t rubbed it on your jacket.
When you rub the balloon against your jacket, the friction causes electrons to travel into the balloon causing it to be electrically negatively charged. This will also cause the balloon to stick to your jacket. Now when you hold the balloon near the fluffed wheat or rice, it gets pulled into the balloon because of its lower electrical load. Once the electrons pass from the balloon onto the puffed wheat or rice, they fall back again because they are no longer attracted to the balloons. Because puffed wheat or rice is so light, it’s very easy to see the effect, even when the difference isn’t that big.
