the zapper - Mad Science of the Bay Area

The Zapper
Styrofoam plate
Styrofoam cup
Piece of wool cloth
(wool works the best but you can try other fabrics too)
Aluminum muffin tin
Scotch tape
Rub the Styrofoam
plate with the wool
cloth for a full
minute.
Rub the plate to charge it some
more and then place it upside down
on a table.
Hold the cup and
place the muffin tin
on top of the charged
Styrofoam plate.
Test if your plate is
charged by placing
it on the wall. It is
charged if it sticks!
Tape the Styrofoam
cup to the middle of
the aluminum muffin
tin to make a handle.
Bring your finger
near the muffin tin
and you will feel a
little shock and
hear a “snap.” If the
room is dark, you
see a little spark.
When you rub the styrofoam plate with a wool cloth, you
charge it up! The Styrofoam attracts the electrons from the
cloth due to friction when the two are rubbed together. The
electrons cannot leave the muffin tin because it is completely surrounded by insulating air and Styrofoam. If you touch the muffin tin while it is near
the Styrofoam, the moving electrons will be
“pushed” off the pan and onto you causing you
to feel a little shock, hear a snapping sound
Try rubbing the plate with
and maybe even see a spark of electricity.
other materials such as
Explosions can be the result of faulty wiring
cotton, silk or plastic.
that leads to the production of a spark that
can ignite gases or flammable materials.
Does it change the result?
Bay Area
thebayarea.madscience.org