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Description

Added by GGNZ Programme team.

2 activities to make lightning

Resources

Activity One:

• aluminium pie pan
• small piece of wool fabric
• styrofoam plate
• pencil with a new eraser
• thumbtack

Activity Two:

• aluminium foil
• balloon
• glass jar with a metal lid
• thumbtacks

Instructions

ACTIVITY ONE:

1. Push the thumbtack through the centre of the aluminium pie pan from the bottom

2. Push the eraser end of the pencil into the thumbtack


3. Put the styrofoam plate upside-down on a table. Quickly, rub the underneath of the plate with the wool for a couple of minutes

4. Pick up the aluminium pie pan using the pencil as a handle and place it on top of the upside-down styrofoam plate that you were just rubbing with the wool.

5. Touch the aluminium pie pan with your finger. You should feel a shock. If you don’t feel anything, try rubbing the styrofoam plate again.

6. Once you feel the shock, try turning the lights out before you touch the pan again (you may need to "recharge" the styrofoam plate) Check out what you see! You should see a spark!!


ACTIVITY TWO:

1. Set Up the Anode - The anode is the positively charged electrode at the bottom of the jar toward which the electrons will flow. To create it, cut a piece of aluminium foil into a square about 12 inches long and 12 inches wide. Fold it twice over into a smaller square and push it into the bottom of the jar. It's OK if the edges stick up a bit.

2. Set Up the Cathode - The cathode is the negatively charged electrode from which the electrons will flow. Make it by poking several thumbtacks through a dryer sheet with their heads facing the top of the jar. Place the dryer sheet over the mouth of the jar and screw on the lid.

3. Charge the Balloon - Rub the balloon on your head. You'll know it's charged if your hair stands on end when you pull the balloon away.

4. Make Lightning - Touch the balloon to the top of the jar and watch what happens. If the balloon has enough charge, you'll see several yellowish blue flashes of lightning. They'll be even more impressive if you turn down the lights.


EXPLANATION:
Why does this happen? It’s all about static electricity. Lightning happens when the negative charges, which are called electrons, are attracted to the positive charges, which are called protons, in the ground. The resulting spark is like a mini lightning bolt.

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