MyScience.ie

This video shows the effects of static electricity using everyday household items. All you need is rice krispies, some pelxi-glass and a wool cloth. Rubbing the wool sweater on the plexiglass generates a negative charge on the plexiglass surface which polarises the rice krispies on the table below (a positive charge accumulates on points closest to the overlying negative charge on the plexiglass). Unlike charges attract so when the difference in charge has become great enough, the electrostatic attractions are sufficient to attract the rice krispies, making them jump toward the plexi-glass. The charge is lost when the rice krispie contacts the glass and the now neutral krispie falls back to the surface of the table allowing the process to start over again.