Bending Water
Static electricity does interesting things when humidity drops. You may feel a
shock when touching something or notice that your hair is standing up on its
ends. Here we will illustrate how static electricity can make water bend.
Materials:
- Nylon Comb
- Water Faucet
- Ruler
Process
1) Turn the water faucet on low. You need to make a stream of water about 1/16
inch in diameter. Use your ruler to check.
2) Comb your hair for about a minute. This will build up a static charge in the
comb.
3) Lift the comb (teeth forward towards the water) near the stream of water and
about 3 or 4 inches under the faucet tap where the water comes out. The water
will bend away from the comb once you get an inch or so away from the stream.
4) Experiment with moving your comb closer and further from the water.
Does the distance of the comb from the water change the amount the water
bends? Record your results.
If you re-charge the static charge by running the comb through your hair more
change the amount the stream bends ? Record your results.
Adjust the amount of water coming out of the faucet. Make the stream thicker
and thinner and test. Record your results.
Experiment with different types of combs to see if some work better than others.
Record your results.
Static electricity is the build-up of electric charge on an objects surface. Static
charges remain on an object until they either bleed off to ground or are quickly
neutralized by a discharge. Electrical charges are created when two objects
rub against each another. As objects are rubbed, some electrons jump from
the surface of one object to the surface of the other. Objects that lose electrons
becomes positively charged. Objects that gain electrons becomes negatively
charged. What material the objects are made of has a big effect on how many
electrons move or jump. This amount of electrons jumping / moving
determines how much of an electrical charge accumulates on the objects. Hair,
nylon, and balloons are very good at charging up with electrons when they are
rubbed together.
shock when touching something or notice that your hair is standing up on its
ends. Here we will illustrate how static electricity can make water bend.
Materials:
- Nylon Comb
- Water Faucet
- Ruler
Process
1) Turn the water faucet on low. You need to make a stream of water about 1/16
inch in diameter. Use your ruler to check.
2) Comb your hair for about a minute. This will build up a static charge in the
comb.
3) Lift the comb (teeth forward towards the water) near the stream of water and
about 3 or 4 inches under the faucet tap where the water comes out. The water
will bend away from the comb once you get an inch or so away from the stream.
4) Experiment with moving your comb closer and further from the water.
Does the distance of the comb from the water change the amount the water
bends? Record your results.
If you re-charge the static charge by running the comb through your hair more
change the amount the stream bends ? Record your results.
Adjust the amount of water coming out of the faucet. Make the stream thicker
and thinner and test. Record your results.
Experiment with different types of combs to see if some work better than others.
Record your results.
Static electricity is the build-up of electric charge on an objects surface. Static
charges remain on an object until they either bleed off to ground or are quickly
neutralized by a discharge. Electrical charges are created when two objects
rub against each another. As objects are rubbed, some electrons jump from
the surface of one object to the surface of the other. Objects that lose electrons
becomes positively charged. Objects that gain electrons becomes negatively
charged. What material the objects are made of has a big effect on how many
electrons move or jump. This amount of electrons jumping / moving
determines how much of an electrical charge accumulates on the objects. Hair,
nylon, and balloons are very good at charging up with electrons when they are
rubbed together.
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