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See for Yourself
Experiments from Bubbles, Rainbows and Worms (Gryphon House, 2004)
By Sam Ed Brown
Static electricity is created when certain objects rub together, like the balloon and the wool. A spark occurs when two objects that have static electricity in them come together.
Hello, Who's There?
Principles: Sound travels through the air and through objects.
Materials:
two plastic Styrofoam cups
long string
two toothpicks
Words to Discuss:
sound
Science Experiment
Punch a small hole in the center of the bottom of each plastic cup. Insert the string through the hole in the plastic cup from the outside to the inside. Tie the end of the string inside the cup around a toothpick and pull. The toothpick will lie across the bottom of the cup, preventing the string from falling out. Do the same with the other cup and the other end of the string. Pull the string tight between the two cups.
Let one child speak directly into the cup while holding the cup with both hands. The other child listens, holding the side of her cup with both hands. What happens? How does the sound travel?
Explanation
The sound travels along the string when it is tight.