# Something science for the kids!



## kuma (Jan 25, 2012)

Hello all , how are tricks?
I hope all is well! :mrgreen: 
I came across something on the web today while looking at the static electricity retention properties of different materials. 
I fully expect that many if not most here will have heard of this , it's super elementary , but I had great fun with it albeit for just a minute , and I think it's something the kids will love!  
Turn on a cold tap just enough so that there is a steady & constant but thin stream of water coming out.
Take a Biro pen , and rub it on your hair ( I don't have much myself but it still worked , :lol: ) like you would a balloon while trying to get it to stick to the ceiling.
Then hold the part of the pen that you rubbed next to the stream of water , but don't let it touch the water or the static will discharge.
You should see the stream of water gravitate towards the pen! 
Elementary , I know , but it's science and I'll be damned if it didn't put a smile on my face!  
Anyway , back to my corner , :lol: 
All the best everybody , and kind regards ,
Chris :mrgreen:


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## joem (Jan 25, 2012)

Yeah we've done this and many other online science tricks. (our kids are home schooled so we can try many things freely). One trick we do is turn our couch into a seasonal Van de Graaff generator. Strange but true. My older daughter has straight thin hair abour a foot and a half long. During the dead dry cold of winter she can rub her head back and forth in the back cushion of the couch and make her hair stand straight out on end on a big round 70's afro style. But then don't let her touch you, the static shock will knock your nipples off. lol All fun in my house.


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## kuma (Jan 30, 2012)

Hi chief , how are tricks?
I hope your well , and I'm sorry I'm real late with a reply! 



joem said:


> Yeah we've done this and many other online science tricks. (our kids are home schooled so we can try many things freely). One trick we do is turn our couch into a seasonal Van de Graaff generator. Strange but true. My older daughter has straight thin hair abour a foot and a half long. During the dead dry cold of winter she can rub her head back and forth in the back cushion of the couch and make her hair stand straight out on end on a big round 70's afro style. But then don't let her touch you, the static shock will knock your nipples off. lol All fun in my house.



That sounds amusing , I'm going to try and convince Gem to try that one! :lol: 
It's all about the good times , 8) 
All the very best to you and yours , and kind regards ,
Chris :mrgreen:


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## macfixer01 (Feb 5, 2012)

kuma said:


> Hi chief , how are tricks?
> I hope your well , and I'm sorry I'm real late with a reply!
> 
> 
> ...




I see a lot of us have similar peripheral interests. FYI - There is an excellent book on the subject called "Electrostatics: Exploring, Controlling, And Using..." by Professor A.D. Moore. For years after he retired from University of Michigan he travelled the country taking his hand-built generators and demonstration units with him, and giving very popular lectures. He designed his own series of induction generators which he named DiRods. The book has been reprinted in recent years and also contains plans to build all the DiRod models now. It's available softcover fairly cheaply at Amazon.

macfixer01


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## kuma (Feb 13, 2012)

Hello all , how are tricks?
I hope all is well!



macfixer01 said:


> I see a lot of us have similar peripheral interests. FYI - There is an excellent book on the subject called "Electrostatics: Exploring, Controlling, And Using..." by Professor A.D. Moore. For years after he retired from University of Michigan he travelled the country taking his hand-built generators and demonstration units with him, and giving very popular lectures. He designed his own series of induction generators which he named DiRods. The book has been reprinted in recent years and also contains plans to build all the DiRod models now. It's available softcover fairly cheaply at Amazon.
> 
> macfixer01



I looked about on the internet for more information about the 'DiRods' that you mentioned as it sounded interesting , and I happened across an online book that contains plans to build various different styles of DiRods (this book also makes refference to Professor A.D. Moore's book).
If anybody's interested heres a link to it ; 

http://cavemanchemistry.com/dirod/dirod.pdf

Looks like a fun build!
All the best for now , and kind regards ,
Chris :mrgreen:


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## macfixer01 (Feb 13, 2012)

kuma said:


> Hello all , how are tricks?
> I hope all is well!
> 
> 
> ...




This appears to be just the plans section someone added to the original book in recent years. Moore named them Dirods because all of his designs were induction machines that involved a rotating plastic disk with multiple metal rods as charge carriers. The original units were more elegant and most of them were not radial designs but had the rods extending through the edge of the disk instead, which ends up looking sort of like a squirrel cage blower. These designs are simplified for the home builder without access to a machine shop. I'd still recommend getting the whole book as he also describes and illustrates various demonstration devices and accessories he built to show off the effects of static electricity, it also covers the basics of electrostatics theory and history as well as industrial uses and so on. I think I saw it as cheap as $15 on Amazon.

macfixer01


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