III. Chapter
 
III. Chapter
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3




Activity 3: Manufacture Electric Hopping Manikins

Category: Electricity / Static Electricity

Target group: Children from 4 to 6 years in kindergarten

Aims: Recognize and experience that the surface of a balloon is electrically loaded by friction

Where: Group area, researcher’s laboratory, a room apart

How long: approx.  35 minutes

What: Experimentally handling an electrically loaded balloon

Preparation: Material: Balloons, pens, scissors, firm paper

 

                                                                        

Steps: The nursery school teacher refers to the previous activities, the children can talk of their experiments and experiences and/or realizations.

Now each child gets a balloon. The children can briefly play with the balloon. The nursery school teacher points out that one can electrically charge the balloon without electricity.

The children are asked to strongly rub the balloon on their sweaters and to let go of them afterwards. The children realize that the balloon remains attached to the sweater.

By trying this on other things, the children realize that the balloon remains attached to

other items as well: the chair, the ceiling, the window.

The nursery school teacher puts little manekins (made of paper beforehand) on the table and asks the children to hold the balloon above the figures. The children observe that the balloon attracts and repulses the figures successively. Little “hopping manekins” are the result.

The nursery school teacher explains that the surface of the balloon is electrically charged by friction and that the balloon attracts and repulses items just like a magnet.

Finally the children may cut little shapes and figures, like frogs or rabbits, and experiment some more during free play.

Scientific Explanation:

Static electricity is what you get when you rub items against each other.

Static charges can be positive or negative. Items with contrary charges attract each other, items with similar charges repel each other.

Possible Variation:

More interesting experiments concerning "Static Electricity“ can be found in the indicated literature.

Note!

 

References:

Ardley, Neil: Spannende Experimente aus Natur und Technik, Bindlach 1998

Cash, Terry u. Taylor, Barbara: Elektrizität

 

 

 

 

 

 

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