Magically Separate Salt & Pepper!
Purpose: To introduce your child to two types of electricity: static electricity (the kind we can create by rubbing objects together) and dynamic electricity (the type that powers things like phones and lights). Through this simple experiment, we’ll focus on static electricity by showing how it can attract objects like pepper. This hands-on activity will help them understand that electricity comes in different forms, with real-world examples they can relate to!
Materials Required:
-
1 small plate
- Salt
- Pepper
- A plastic spoon (or balloon)
- A piece of wool cloth (or a sweater)
Before you start, watch this video below with your child for a simple explanation of static and dynamic electricity. This will help them understand the experiment even better!
Instructions:
1. First talk electricity:
- After watching the video, talk briefly about electricity. Explain that there are two kinds: static electricity (like what we’ll see in this experiment) and dynamic electricity (like what charges your phone or powers the lights).
2. Start with the experiment:
- Sprinkle a small amount of salt and pepper onto the plate, mixing them together.
3. Generate some static electricity:
- Rub the plastic spoon (or balloon) on a wool cloth or sweater for about 30 seconds to create static electricity.
4. Make magic happen:
- Hold the spoon (or balloon) close to the salt and pepper mixture (without touching it!).
- Watch as the pepper particles are attracted to the spoon, while the heavier salt stays behind.
5. Et voila!
- Use this moment to explain how the static electricity from the spoon pulls the lighter pepper, while dynamic electricity is the type we use every day to power devices.
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