Skip to playerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
  • 20/08/2014
Explore the magical world of static electricity by making charged objects move without touching them.

For more ideas, and to download an info sheet click here: https://www.facebook.com/Ri.ExpeRimental

In this fun, simple science activity to do at home with children, Sophie Scott and her son investigate static electricity. By rubbing a balloon or straw on a cloth or their clothes, they make balancing pencils, pens, and spoons move without touching them! In these experiments they discover how things with opposite charges attract, and those with the same charge repel. They investigate whether the phenomenon will work with a variety of objects and even a stream of running water, asking questions about the science at play as they go.
Download the info sheet for more ideas and further activities here: http://bit.ly/SMInfoSheet

ExpeRimental, brought to you by the Royal Institution of Great Britain, is a series of free short films that make it fun, easy and cheap to do science at home with children aged 4 to 10. Our films give you lots of ideas for kids' activities that will help you explore the world around you, question and experiment together. We'll show you how to do the activity and how to make sure adults and children get the most out of it. Why not have a go and then tell us what you think on our Facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/Ri.ExpeRimental

For more information, visit http://rigb.org/experimental
Click here to subscribe for more science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
Watch more science videos on the Ri Channel http://richannel.org
The Ri is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ri_science
and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/royalinstitution

Recommended