Piezo Explosive Popper Experiment

We love things that go boom. Throw in some flames and you’ve got one of the most popular experiments on Geek Slop.

Andreas_Cunaeus_discovering_the_Leyden_jar

Ever heard of a Leyden jar? It’s been around for over 200 years and is the forerunner of the modern day capacitor. The guy who invented it tested it on himself and stated that ‘my whole body was shaken as though by a thunderbolt’. And no, his name wasn’t Leyden – Leyden was the town…

Drawing of electrophorus electrostatic generator, invented by Johan Carl Wilcke in 1764, from an 1840 chemistry text

In this experiment we’ll create an object called a electrophorus. Using the materials listed above, we’ll charge the object and then discharge it creating a snap, a little electrical shock, and a bright spark. If you’re afraid of a little electrical shock then get Dad to discharge the object for you. And for grins, don’t…

Styrofoam peanuts clinging to a cat's fur due to static electricity

In this experiment, we will magically force electrons from Scotch Tape to pass to and from a table. Of course, you won’t be able to see the electrons transfer, but you will definitely see the effects of the hopping electrons.

Science can often seem like magic. In this mind-bending experiment, we’ll demonstrate a fundamental scientific principle with an experiment that will astonish your friends – and all you’ll need is a PVC pipe, Christmas tinsel, and a head of clean, dry hair to create a “magic wand” that will float a colorful orb.

A DC microammeter is an instrument that measures the electric current in a circuitIn a nutshell, a battery uses a chemical reaction to produce an electrical current. In this experiment, we will create an electric current using nothing more than our own bodies (Geek Slop promises this won’t hurt…. much).

Batteries store chemical energy that can be transmitted as electrical energy through various components in a circuit. You can think of the circuit as the path the electrons (electricity) take. The path has to have no breaks in it and it much be a path made of a material that will allow the electrons to…