Van de Graaff Generator

• Principle: Static electricity is cool.
• Located in L01, section A2
• Van de Graaf accessories are located beneath Van de Graaff generator in plastic containers.

Some ideas for experiments beyond the typical shock-myself-and-my-students:

• Bend a paper clip into an L shape and tape it to the charged sphere to create an ion gun; point the paper clip at the palm of your hand to feel the "ion wind". Point the paper clip at your shirt to charge your shirt up- after 30 seconds shirt should begin sticking to your chest.
• Place a cup of styrofoam peanuts, or a stack of styro or aluminum plates on top of the sphere, turn on generator and watch stuff fly.
• Dim the room lights, touch one end of a fluorescent bulb to the charged sphere and the other end of the bulb to the small discharging sphere. Bulb will flicker.
• Using a squirt gun shoot a stream of water past the charged sphere; water should ionize and stream will disperse.

Additional Van de Graaff demo ideas