Science Smarts: Static electricity butterflies
By PATTY ROOKS on March 25, 2022.
Static electricity is a fascinating subject – I was going to say shocking, but I had some groans earlier when I used that line! This time of the year, I am finding that everything is either sticking to me, or my hair is sticking straight in the air. I seem to carry an extra charge or two around I think. None the less, those shocks you get while walking around the house involve science so…we had better investigate further. Let’s get started! Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment. Materials • Balloon • Tissue paper • Cardstock • Small piece of cardboard • Pencil • Scissors • Googly eyes (optional) • Glue stick Procedure • Cut your cardboard into a 20×20 cm square. • Take the tissue paper and draw the design of a butterfly – make sure you have large wings as we are going to make it fly! Once you are sure, cut it out. • Using a piece of cardstock, cut out a body for the butterfly. Glue the googly eyes on the body and set aside for now. • Take the tissue paper and lay it on the cardboard. Gently place the body in the middle of your tissue paper wings and glue this down. ONLY glue the body OVER the wings. You want the wings to be free. • Have an adult help you blow up and tie the balloon. • RUB, RUB, RUB the balloon in your hair. • Hold it over the wings of your butterfly. • Observe what happens. What is going on? The wings of the butterfly begin to “fly” when you hold the balloon over it. This is due to static electricity. Static electricity is created because opposite charges attract. When you rub that balloon over and over again in your hair, one of the materials becomes negatively charged and the other one become positively charged and as a result they will attract one another; allowing the butterfly wings to flap in the air. Do not forget to sign up for the Redcliff Public Library’s Science Night on April 5 with Praxis and special guest author Valerie Miller with The Energy Adventures of Tommy and Remi. Contact the Library at 403-548-3335 at the Library to preregister. Patty Rooks, Senior Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. Address: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403.527.5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca. 25-24
