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Static Electricity Ghost
Updated: Oct 17, 2020
Let's use some household items to make a spooky dancing ghost!
Materials needed:
Balloons
Tape
Scissors
Tissue paper (you can also try computer paper, newspaper, toilet paper, and other kinds of paper!)
Preparation:
Cut ghost shapes about 1.5 to 2 inches long from the different kinds of paper you want to test
Tape just the very edge of the ghosts' tails to the table, so they don't fly away!
Blow up a balloon
Outline:
Rub the balloon across your head for 10-20 seconds really quickly.
Then, slowly move the balloon over your ghosts one at a time, until they start to dance!
Reflect on what you've done and extend this activity:
Why does this happen? When you rub the balloon in your hair, the surface of the balloon gets covered with negatively-charged electrons. These electrons can pull very light, positively-charged things towards them, creating our dancing ghost. Spooky!
You can download a printer-friendly version of this post below!
This static electricity ghost experiment is a fun way to show how science can create spooky effects with simple household items. The balloon’s charge makes the lightweight paper move, connecting perfectly with Halloween creativity. It also gives ideas for combining science activities with festive styles such as skeleton and pumpkin jackets.