Do Not Touch the Toothpick
Materials:
o
Clear
plastic Drinking cup
o
Flat
toothpick
o
Coin
(nickel)
o
Balloon 
Experiment:
1.
Stand
the coin up on its edge.
2.
Balance the flat toothpick on the top of the coin.
3.
Carefully
cover this balanced combination with the clear plastic cup.
4.
“Charge” an inflated balloon by rubbing the balloon
on your dry, clean hair several times.
5.
Hold
the charged balloon near the plastic cup and slowly move it around the cup.
6.
The toothpick moves!!!
Explanation:
All matter is made of tiny parts called atoms. Each
atom has a positively charged center with negatively charged electrons spinning
around the outside. Rubbing a balloon on
hair causes it to become negatively charged. This charging occurs because some
electrons from the hair are rubbed off the hair and onto the balloon. Very
little force is needed to move the balanced toothpick. The attractive force
between the negatively charged balloon and the positive center of the toothpick
is strong enough to move the toothpick.
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