Hobbies And Interests
The Materials
Making lightning in a pan, as suggested by the Web Weather for Kids website, requires an aluminum pie pan, a thumbtack and a ball point pen in addition to the Styrofoam ball and wool material. For the wool, any piece of wool material of a manageable size will do. A wool sock or patch of wool blanket is perfect. Additionally, any manageable sized piece of Styrofoam will work-- a rectangular piece will work just as well as a ball.
The Setup
To prepare the project, push the thumbtack through the very center of the pie pan. Then, stick the flat, non-writing, end of the ball point pen onto the protruding point of the tack. This will form a handle you can use to move the pan later without disrupting the electrical charge that you will build. Use glue or reusable adhesive to secure the pen to the tack if necessary.
The Experiment
Rub the Styrofoam vigorously (quickly, but not with so much force that you break the ball) with your piece of wool material. Put the wool aside and use the pen sticking out of the pie plate to lift the pie plate and set it on top of the Styrofoam ball. Do not touch the pie plate with your hands or the experiment will not work. Turn off the light and slowly draw your finger close to the pie pan. Watch the for the spark that will jump between the plate and your finger.
What Happened
The spark you saw jump between your finger and the aluminum pie plate was a miniature version of the lightning you see during a rainstorm. Static electricity, of which lightning is a variety, is created when an imbalance of electrons occurs between two materials. In this case, rubbing the wool across the Styrofoam "stole" electrons from the wool and deposited them in the Styrofoam ball. The aluminum plate picks up this negative charge from the Styrofoam so when you place your finger near the plate, the excess electrons jump across the space and deliver a tiny, shock to your hand.