Daily STREAM Activity: Static Electricity

This experiment is electrifying!

Activity best for children age 2 and up

Have you ever touched a door knob and got a sharp zap? What about going down a slide and your hair stood up? Have your socks gotten stuck to your sweater after coming out of the dryer? These surprising things are actually caused by something that happens in nature called, static electricity. Some of us might know what electricity is, it is how our lights go on and off, what we need for the computers and t.v.s to work. This type  of electricity moves through a current, not staying in one place. 

Static electricity is static because the electric charge stays in one area for some time and doesn’t flow or move to a different area. An electric charge happens when two surfaces touch each other and electrons move from one object to another. One of the objects will have a positive charge and the other a negative charge. When you go down the slide you create friction and this causes your hair to stand up.

What do you think will happen if we rub balloons on our hair? Could this cause friction and our hair to stand up? What about moving tissue paper with a balloon? Today we will be a scientist and an artist when we create a butterfly and make its wings move with static electricity.

Materials you’ll need:

Cardboard

Tissue paper for wings

Colored paper for body

Gluestick or tape

Balloon

Scissors

Markers (optional)

Guiding Questions:

How can I move the wings on my paper butterfly?

If I add more weight, like sparkles to the wings, will they still be able to move?

What if I made the wings from colored paper instead of tissue paper?

Can I use the balloon to make my hair stand up? 

What other materials can I rub the balloon on to get static electricity?

Directions

STEP 1
Ask a grown up to help you blow up a balloon. Put the balloon in a safe place while you make your butterfly.

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STEP 2
Using scissors, cut out butterfly wing shapes from the tissue paper and set on a piece of cardboard (do not glue them to cardboard).

Image 1 8 21 At 11.43 AM (1)

STEP 3
From regular colored construction paper, cut out the body of the butterfly. Glue the body of the butterfly on top of the tissue paper wings. Only glue the body to the wings.

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STEP 4
Rub the balloon gently on your hair for about 10 seconds, then rub the balloon over the butterfly wings and observe what happens!

If you’re having trouble moving the wings, try rubbing the balloon on your hair for a longer period of time.

Grown ups, are you looking for more ways to extend your child’s learning? Check out these extension activities to build upon today’s STREAM activity!

Reading Connection
The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip by Joanna Cole
Download

Math Connections
Go around your house and count how many things you have that use electricity. Is it a lot? Is it a small amount? How many things can you count that don’t need electricity? Is it more or less than the electrical items?

Real-World Connections (6+)
Investigate the different ways of getting electrical power. Solar power and wind power are becoming common ways of powering our homes. Why is that? What about electric cars? Have you seen one? How do they work if they don’t need gas?