Electrostatics

Using high voltage equipment in the classroom can be exciting and educational for students, but most students AND teachers do not realize the real-life applications of such devices in their everyday lives. Although high voltage components are used in many of today’s electronic gadgets, being able to demonstrate the principles of this electrical phenomenon can be confusing for students and may present a safety issue for the teacher if not properly used.

The Fun Fly Stick is a toy that appears to magically “levitate” and repel objects after the teacher presses the button on the handle. What makes the Fun Fly Stick operate is a scientific principle of static electricity that Robert Van de Graaff utilized some 75 years ago. What Van de Graaff originally developed, was a device which produced very high voltages that were needed to accelerate particles to energies high enough to create new elements.

One of the first science toys I ever owned was a water rocket. Essentially a plastic container with fins, the rocket is prepared for flight by partially filling it with water and pressurized air. When released, the rocket’s contents exit a small hole at the base of the rocket in one direction, pushing the rocket ahead with amazing speed in the opposite direction. A case of action-reaction, pure and simple.

The electrical force is so pervasive that it is difficult to name many aspects of the physical world not affected by it. At the most fundamental level, the attractive electrical force between electrons and protons holds atoms together. On a bit larger scale, electrical interactions between atoms are responsible for the formation of molecules. On a much grander scale, a rapid discharge of atmospheric electricity manifests itself as a flash of lightning. All these phenomena are governed by the same basic principles.