Ermisch1

Aidan Ermisch

Mrs. Stevens

Life Science

31 January 2018

Which Type of Balloon Will Create the Most Lightning in a Jar?

Did you know that there are about 100 strikes of lightning every single second on Earth’s

surface? Lightning can also contain up to one billion volts of energy (Lightning). In the clouds,

lightning is created by the rubbing of warm and cold air. This helps create static electricity (How

Is). I hypothesized that ​If I create static electricity with a regular balloon and a water balloon

and use both balloons in the “lightning in a jar experiment”, then more lightning will appear

with the regular balloon.

How Does the Lightning in a Jar Experiment Work?

The lightning in a jar experiment works by first having some materials. You need a jar

that has a metal cap, a dryer sheet, thumb tacks, a balloon, and aluminum foil. Now, get the jar

with the metal cap, take the cap off, and put foil at the bottom of the jar. This will create an

anode. Then, with the cap still off, place the dryer sheet on top of the jar. Then, poke thumb tacks

through the dryer sheet. This creates a cathode. Once done with that, screw the cap back on.

Finally, rub the balloon on your hair. This creates the static electricity needed for lightning to be

possible. Now put the balloon on top of the metal cap (Chris).

How is Lightning Formed?

In order for lightning to be possibility, both warm and cold air have to come into contact

with each other. The warm air helps create condensation, while cold air helps ice crystals form
 Ermisch2

(How Is). Ice and water are constantly moving around inside a cloud (What). During a

thunderstorm, the warm air and cold air are constantly bumping and rubbing against one another,

creating static electricity (How Is). When negative charges come down, the air surrounding

becomes extremely hot (What). Static electricity continues to get stronger as this continues, and

in time, the cloud will let go of that energy, creating lightning (How Is).

What is Static Electricity? How is it Formed?

Static electricity is when an object has too many negatively charged particles (Wicker). It

can be formed from several ways, could be formed by rubbing things or you could form by

swapping some small amounts of materials. By rubbing things, the two things come into contact

over, and over, and over again, which creates a charge. We call this charge static electricity

(Woodford). By swapping small amounts of materials, you are creating an inequality of opposite

charges. These charges keep building up, until they find a way to get rid of that energy. One way

is discharge, or by getting shocked (How). “When insulating materials become charged... the

charge cannot flow away because there is no conductor” (Rogers 35).

How Do You Accurately Measure Static Electricity?

There are many ways on how you can measure static electricity. One way is by using an

electrometer (Beety). An electrometer is a device that can be used to measure low charges

(Electrometer). Another way on how you can measure static electricity is by measuring the

length of the spark. One way you can do this is by using a voltmeter. A third way how you can

measure static electricity is by the painfulness of the shock. A fourth way is by using a field mill

(Beety). A field mill is used to measure how strong an electric field is, and comparing it a stable,

uncharged object (About). A fifth way that can be used is by using an electrometer array (Beety).
 Ermisch3

An electrometer array is a device that helps give a visual demonstration on where static

electricity is. For example, when negative charged particles are near the device, a red light turns

off (Beaty).

What Effect Does Moisture Have on Static Electricity? Why?

Humidity makes the air more conductive. In other words, on days that are humid, it is

harder for objects to hold static charges. Humidity also amplifies the electric charge (Shipman).

However, static electricity is noticeable on cold, dry days. ​Although the humidity amplifies the

charges, too much humidity gets rid of the charge (Does). When the materials rub together, ​one

rubs a negative charge on one material, while the other rubs a positive charge. When it is humid,

the charges build up more quickly (McCartney).

What is an Anode? And What is a Cathode?

An anode is an electrode that is positively charged. An electrode is a conductor for which

electrons flow through. A cathode is an electrode that is charged negatively (Chris). A cathode

attracts positive charges. It is also the source of negative charges. An anode attracts negative

charges. It is also the source of positive charges (Helmenstine).

I hypothesized that, i​f I create static electricity with a regular balloon and a water

balloon and use both balloons in the “lightning in a jar experiment”, then more lightning will

appear with the regular balloon.​ When I did my experiment, I found that the experiment didn’t

work. No matter which balloon I used, lightning did not appear in the jar. The average for the

“lightning in a jar experiment” with a regular balloon is zero. The average for the “lightning in a

jar experiment” with a water balloon is also zero. When I created static electricity with a regular

balloon and a water balloon and used both balloons in the “lightning in a jar experiment”, no
 Ermisch4

lightning appeared.
 Ermisch5

Works Cited

“About Electric Field Mill Operation.” Mission Instruments: About Field Mills, Mission

Instruments, 2006, ​www.missioninstruments.com/pages/learning/about_fm.html​.

Beaty, Bill. “Array-Electrometer Exhibit: ‘Visible E-Field Panel’ Museum of Science, Electricity

Hall, Boston, 1989.” ELECTROMETER ARRAY PANEL, Static Electricity Detector

Electrostatic, 1989, amasci.com/electrom/electrom.html.

Beety, William J. “‘Static Electricity’ Means ‘High Voltage’ Measuring Your

Body-Voltage.”Measuring High Voltage or the "Static Electricity" on Your Body.,

BSEE, 1999, amasci.com/emotor/voltmeas.html.

Chris Deziel. “How to Make a Lightning Bolt in a Bottle.” Sciencing, Leaf Group Ltd., 12 June

2017, sciencing.com/make-lightning-bolt-bottle-10057255.html.

“Does the Weather Affect Static Electricity?” Transforming Technologies, Transforming

Technologies, 6 June 2013,

transforming-technologies.com/esd-q-a/does-the-weather-affect-static-electricity/.

“Electrometer.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, ​www.dictionary.com/browse/electrometer?s=t​.

Helmenstine, Anne Marie. “How to Define Anode and a Cathode.” ThoughtCo, 21 Sept. 2017,

www.thoughtco.com/how-to-define-anode-and-cathode-606452​.

“How Does Static Electricity Work?” Everyday Mysteries, Library of Congress, 31 July 2017,

www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/static.html​.

“How Is Lightning Made?” Edited by Shelley Canright, National Aeronautics and Space

Administration, NASA, 9 Dec. 2007,

www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/home/F_What_Causes_Lightning_Flash.html​.
 Ermisch6

“Lightning Facts and Information.” Facts and Information, National Geographic Society, 9 Oct.

2009, ​www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/lightning/​.

McCartney, Alan. “Static Electricity & Relative Humidity.” Fire Prevention, Fireline, 2012,

www.asse.org/assets/1/7/Alan_McCartney_Article.pdf?ref=ps​.

Rogers, Kirsteen, et al. “Electricity.” Light, Sound & Electricity, edited by Laura Howell,

Usborne Pub., 2006, p. 35.

Shipman, Judee. “Temperature, Air Humidity and Static Electricity | Science

Project.”Education.com, Education.com, Inc., 2006,

www.education.com/science-fair/article/temperature-humidity-static-charges-last/​.

“What Is Lightning? -.” Science Made Simple, Science Made Simple, 23 May 2012,

www.sciencemadesimple.co.uk/activity-blogs/lightning​.

Wicker, Crystal. “Lightning.” Weather Wiz Kids, Weather Wiz Kids, 2015,

www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-lightning.htm​.

Woodford, Chris. “Static Electricity.” Explain That Stuff, 1 Dec. 2016,

www.explainthatstuff.com/how-static-electricity-works.html​.