Elenco Snaptricity&reg - Manual (Page 16)

Snappy says: notice how
your hair can “stand up” or be
attracted to the comb when
the air is dry. Wetting your hair
dissipates the static charge.
-15-
Project #6
Educational Corner:
Hold your magnet near the paper pieces; nothing happens.
Run the comb in your hair again and place it next to the iron
filings case; not much happens (there may be a weak attraction).
Now hold the magnet near the iron filings; they jump to it easily.
What’s happening?
Running the comb through your hair builds up an electric charge
in it, which is different from the magnetic charge in the magnet.
The paper pieces are attracted to an electric charge, while the
iron filings are attracted to a magnetic charge.
You will learn more about the differences between electricity and
magnetism later.
Do you want to learn more?
Iron filings are
weakly attracted
to the comb.
Iron filings are
strongly attracted
to the magnet.
Electricity in Your Hair
You need a comb (or a plastic ruler) and some paper for
this project. Rip up the paper into small pieces.
Assembly
Run the comb through your hair several times then hold it
near the paper pieces to pick them up. You can also use a
pen or plastic ruler, rub it on your clothes (wool works best).
Operation
Rubbing the comb through your hair pulls extremely tiny
charged particles from your hair onto the comb. These give
the comb a static electrical charge, which attracts the paper
pieces.
Description
Note: This project
works best on a
cold dry day. If the
weather is humid,
the water vapor in
the air allows the
static electric
charge to
dissipate, and this
project may not
work.