by Bukky » 30 Jan 2019, 13:57
It's easy to create an electric discharge inside any jar that has a metal cap. You just need to do two things. The first is tomake an electrode in the bottom of the jar toward which the electricity can flow, and the second is to come up with a safe source of static electricity.Have you ever rubbed a balloon in your hair and noticed that it sticks to the wall? That's because the action of rubbing the ballon creates free electrons, much like rubbing your feet on a carpet. A balloon makes a great source of static electricity.Set Up the AnodeThe anode is the positively charged electrode at the bottom of the jar toward which the electrons will flow. To create it, cut a piece of aluminum foil into a square about 12 inches long and 12 inches wide. Fold it twice over into a smaller square and push it into the bottom of the jar. It's OK if the edges stick up a bit.Set Up the CathodeThe cathode is the negatively charged electrode from which theelectrons will flow. Make it by poking several thumbtacks through a dryer sheet with their heads facing the top of the jar. Place the dryer sheet over the mouth of the jar and screw on the lid.TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)The purpose of the tacks is to focus the charge and increase the voltage. If you used aluminum foil tomake the cathode, the charge would spread over the entiresheet instead of flowing toward the anode.Charge the BalloonRub the balloon on your head. You'll know it's charged if your hair stands on end when you pull the balloon away.Make LightningTouch the balloon to the top of the jar and watch what happens. If the balloon has enough charge, you'll see severalyellowish blue flashes of lightning. They'll be even more impressive if you turn down the lights.TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)This experiment works best when the humidity is low. That's because moisture makes air an even better electrical insulator.
