Elenco Green Projects - Manual (Page 52)

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Project #78 Harnessing Static
Electricity
Electricity is immensely more powerful than gravity (gravity is what causes things to fall
to the ground when you drop them). However electrical attraction is so completely
balanced out that you don’t notice it, while gravity effects are always apparent because
they are not balanced out.
Gravity is actually the attraction between objects due to their weight (or technically, their
mass). This effect is extremely small and can be ignored unless one of the objects is as
big as a planet (like the earth). Gravity attraction never goes away and is seen every time
you drop something. Electrical charge, though usually balanced out perfectly, can move
around and change quickly.
For example, you have seen how clothes can cling together in the dryer due to static
electricity. There is also a gravity attraction between the sweaters, but it is always
extremely small.
Some electricity is produced in dams, by harnessing the power of gravity to move water
to spin a generator. If instead we could harness the static electricity contained in the
water, we would have all the electricity we need.
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.
If you have two balloons, rub them to a
sweater and then hang the rubbed sides
next to each other. They repel away. You
could also use the balloons to pick up tiny
pieces of paper.
Take a piece of newspaper or other thin
paper and rub it vigorously with a
sweater or pencil. It will stick to a wall. Cut the paper into two long strips, rub
them, then hang them next to each other.
See if they attract or repel each other.
You need a comb (or a plastic ruler) and some paper for this project. Rip up the
paper into small pieces. Run the comb through your hair several times then hold
it near the paper pieces to pick them up. You can also use a plastic ruler, rub it
on your clothes (wool works best).
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.
Snappy says to 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.
Get a roll of plastic tape. Make some strips about a foot long. Hold their ends so
they hang downwards, and slowly bring them close together. See if you can make
them touch each other.