Experiment: Sparks

* Younger children might require adult supervision for this experiment. *

Materials:
Hot Glue
Plate
Styrofoam
BIC Pen
Pliers
Thumbtack
Pie Pan

Procedure:
Remove the pen cartridge from inside the BIC pen using the pliers. Keep the empty outer casing. This will serve as a “handle” later on.
Put the pie pan on a table, upside down.
Push the thumbtack down through the center of the pan.
Turn the pan right-side up. The thumbtack should be sticking through the middle of the pan, point up.
Cover the tack with hot glue.
Push the bottom of the pen’s outer casing onto the thumbtack point. Use the eraser end of a pencil to push it down if necessary. You will move the pie pan around by holding onto this pen “handle.”
Let the glue dry.
Use to wool rag to rub the styrofoam plate for 45 seconds.
Put the styrofoam plate upside down on the table surface.
Grab the pen “handle” and put the pie pan on top of the upside down styrofoam plate. The pen should be sticking upwards.
Touch the pie pan briefly with your finger. Warning! It may give you a small shock.
Take the pie pan off the styrofoam plate by gripping the pen “handle.”
Touch the pie pan with your finger to discharge it.

[ back to graphics version ]

Forces of Nature: ThinkQuest 2000 (Team #C003603)

http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/english/experiments-miscellaneous02.shtml [ f o r c e s   o f   n a t u r e   :   a c t i v i t i e s ]

Experiment: Sparks

* Younger children might require adult supervision for this experiment. *

Materials:
Hot Glue
Plate
Styrofoam
BIC Pen
Pliers
Thumbtack
Pie Pan

Procedure:
Remove the pen cartridge from inside the BIC pen using the pliers. Keep the empty outer casing. This will serve as a “handle” later on.
Put the pie pan on a table, upside down.
Push the thumbtack down through the center of the pan.
Turn the pan right-side up. The thumbtack should be sticking through the middle of the pan, point up.
Cover the tack with hot glue.
Push the bottom of the pen’s outer casing onto the thumbtack point. Use the eraser end of a pencil to push it down if necessary. You will move the pie pan around by holding onto this pen “handle.”
Let the glue dry.
Use to wool rag to rub the styrofoam plate for 45 seconds.
Put the styrofoam plate upside down on the table surface.
Grab the pen “handle” and put the pie pan on top of the upside down styrofoam plate. The pen should be sticking upwards.
Touch the pie pan briefly with your finger. Warning! It may give you a small shock.
Take the pie pan off the styrofoam plate by gripping the pen “handle.”
Touch the pie pan with your finger to discharge it.

[ back to graphics version ]

Forces of Nature: ThinkQuest 2000 (Team #C003603)

http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/english/experiments-miscellaneous02.shtml