You will need:
- Balloon
- Woollen material (sock
or sweater) - Energy-saving light bulb
Challenge your friends to try and light a bulb, even for a second, but without using any wires. When they all admit defeat, perform this simple trick in physics.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Wait until it is completely dark.
- Take your balloon and rub it for a few minutes on the woollen material you have.
- Once static energy is created, take the bulb in one hand and the balloon in the other.
- Move the balloon towards the bulb and away from it. Do not keep it stationary.
RESULT
The movement of the balloon towards the bulb transmits a current into the bulb. These power-saving bulbs are glass tubes filled with low pressure gas, which has charged ions. As soon as the negatively charged balloon comes close to the light bulb, the positive ions in the bulb are attracted to the balloon and the negative ones get repelled, thus creating a spark. This spark lights up the bulb for a second at a time.