Summary
Phil explores static electricity — the build-up of electric charge that makes your hair stand up and creates tiny sparks. He scales it up to model how lightning works. ~22 min, free on the official Science Max YouTube channel.
Viewer safety
All ages
Some bright sparks and a loud crack when the static discharges — exciting, not scary.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
A zap, a spark, hair standing on end — Phil explores the static electricity behind lightning.
- What is static electricity?
- What happens to your hair when it gets charged?
- How are the little sparks like lightning?
- Where have you felt a static "zap"?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: static, charge, spark, electricity, lightning.
Try it: Rub a balloon on your hair, then hold it near small paper bits. Describe what the charged balloon does to the paper.