This week, we have started our new Unit of Inquiry. The organizing theme is ‘How the World Works,’ and our central idea is, ‘ Electricity is a natural phenomenon that can be harnessed.’ We spent time unpacking the central idea and rewrote it in our home language or in kid friendly language.
After brainstorming what we already know about electricity, we started our first experiment with static electricity. We watched a video on Brainpop that explained that static electricity occurs when there is a sudden transfer of electrons from atoms in one place to atoms in another place. We found out that you can give certain items a charge by rubbing them against something else. Our first experiment was to find out if a charged balloon could pick up various pieces of paper. Many of us were quite surprised by the result of this experiment. For example, you will have a different result if you give the balloon a charge for 10 seconds or for 30 seconds.
We are looking forward to the hands-on inquiry that will help us better understand our central idea and come to new understandings.
Here is a short video clip of our static electricity experiment:
Here is a short video clip of our static electricity experiment:
We found out every material sticks to the balloon if you rub it to your hair for 30 seconds.
ReplyDeleteThis happend because the electrons went from our hair to the balloon and then on the paper so then the paper gets stuck to the balloon because the hair gives the balloon a negative and then the positive goes to the object.
The results suprised me a little because i thought the balloon could pick up thin paper but not cardboard but as i see the balloon can as well pick up cardboard. I think next time i should try to only rub for 5 seconds and see if it still sticks to the balloon. I wonder what the heaviest thing is that the ballon can carry?
Julia
The result of the experiment suprised me because I thought only the light ones will be picked up. What surprised me the most was that even the card board was picked up.
ReplyDeleteNext time, I might charge it for 10 seconds and see what sticks.
from Aoi
I think it surprised me because I didnt think all of the pieces of paper would stick. I would change the objects next time and see if it sticks to heavier objects. I wonder why dthe electrons attract the paper?
ReplyDeletemegan
It suprised me that it didn't really pick up all the ones I thought it would pick up. It only picked up the normal paper and the tissue. Next time I will rub the balloon against my hairinstead of the carpet, and i will rub it for 1 minute to sea what would happen and if it would pick up all the pieces of paper.
ReplyDeleteWONDERINGS
Could I zap someone with a charged ballon?
From
Svea
The result surprised me because I thouhgt the papers will weigh too much for electrons to pick up. I think that the next time I am gowing to rub the baloon for 30 or 40 seconds because if I will do that, more electrons will go on the baloon and it will pick up more pieces of paper and hold them for longer time.Quastions I will ask the next time:Can electrons pick up bigger papers? How much papers can one baloon pick up in one time?
ReplyDeleteStacey:)
I charged yhe baloon for 30 seconds for each piece of paper. The result surprised me because all the the diferent typs of paper stuck. I thought that only the tissue paper would stick! I think all the typs of paper stuck because I rubbed the balloon on my head for 30 seconds. Next time I would like to test if the hair or the carpet can get more electrons. I would like to know what is the heaviest thing the balloon can hold? I would also like to know if there are other objects that can also collect electrons and pick up paper like the balloon?
ReplyDelete-Ilinca
it was very fun doing it but it also was very interresting because i didnt think that it could lift tishues because of the matirial.
ReplyDeletegordon
The results suprised me that it picked up the things I thought.
ReplyDeleteI think next time I can try with my hair and charge longer because the longer you do is the more you get the electrons.
My wonderings are If you charge more how heavy can it pick up?
My second wondering is why is light ones easier to pick up?
♥from Chiho♥
the resolts of the reflektion didnt surprize me.next time we could change the matirials .i still have some qestions about the ballon.what would be the hevieas a bolloon kan pickup
ReplyDeletethe results did surprise me because the blue paper jumpt on the balloon and also because i thoght only one paper would stik on the balloon but three did the orange paper the blue paper and the tishu.next time i will rub the balloon on my hair.i wonder if the balloon could glue every where.
ReplyDeleteaxelle
It happened because the balloon collected the electrons from our hair giving our hair a positive charge and the balloon a negative charge which attracts the balloon to the material. Which has a positive charge and positive and negitive attract to eachother so the material stuck to the balloon.
ReplyDelete☻Alastair☻
The result because all sticked! I sould rub for less time like 20 seconds because all sticked.Is there some thing incidea Pluton or a Electron?If so how many
ReplyDeleteƒrom:♠Axel♠
The balloon picked up the paper because when you rub the balloon against your hair or the carpet, it gives the balloon a negative charge so when you put the balloon against the paper it pushes all the negative charge away from the paper so the paper has a positive charge and the balloon has a negative charge. So then when you pick up the balloon the paper comes with it.
ReplyDeleteBrandon
The result did surprireme because i did not know that the card would work.If i would change it i wwould put more thing that weigh more.I want to find out how many things a balloon can hold at once.
ReplyDeletelizzy
When I rubbed the balloon against my hair the negatively charged electrons went from my hair to the balloon (because my hair gives away electrons and the rubber that the balloon is made of collects electrons) and the positively charged eletrons in the paper were attracted to the negatively charged electrons in the balloon which is why the paper stuck to it. I thought that the charge would have been stronger so that the large paper and the cardboard stuck to the balloon. I observed that the paper stayed on for ages. Maybe this is because paper is lighter (in weight) than cardboard. We charged the balloon for one minute. I wonder how long it would take to pick up a bottle. I also wonder what is the heaviest thing a balloon can pick up. I hope someone can answer my questions.
ReplyDeleteYours sincerely
Matthew