|
Ever been shocked on a cold day by touching a doorknob or another
person's hand? If so, Try this experiment to see how friction works and how it affects static electricity. You'll need:
Rub the inflated balloons on your shirt or sweater. Now use the string to tie the balloons to the stick or yardstick. Be sure the sides you rubbed on your shirt are facing each other. What happens? The balloons push away from each other. Why? They're charged with like charges. Electricity is either "like" or "unlike," meaning that the charges are either positive or negative. Like charges repel, and unlike charges attract. Guess what else? The rubbing didn't create static electricity. Rubbing, or friction, simply separates the negative and positive charges. Friction then transfers those charges onto different parts of the object. Note: Information for this experiment provided courtesy of Boy Scouts of America. |
you've
experienced firsthand the effects of static electricity. Static
electricity is the electricity transferred when two objects rub
together. That rubbing - or friction - stores electricity on the
surface of some materials, like rubber, glass or cloth. When the
stored electricity is discharged, you get a spark or a shock. |
Copyright © 1996-2000 Kansas City Power & Light Company and KCPLKids.com. All Rights Reserved |