The Van de Graaff Hair
You don’t need a museum ticket to look like Einstein.
The Van de Graaff generator is the star of every science center. It makes your hair stand up. It shoots lightning. But you don’t need a machine to teach the physics. You just need a stick of PVC.
The Physics: Why does your hair stand up? It’s not “magic.” It’s Repulsion. When you charge your body with static, every single hair on your head gets the same negative charge. Since like charges repel, your hair strands are desperately trying to get away from each other. The only way they can go is up.
The $3 Build:
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Buy a 2-foot section of 1-inch PVC pipe.
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Wrap a dry washcloth or a piece of wool around one end.
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Rub it fast. You are mechanically stripping electrons.
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Hold the pipe near your kid’s head (don’t touch, just hover).
The Result: Their hair will reach for the pipe. If the air is dry enough, you can get a full vertical stand-up. It is high-voltage physics for the price of a plumbing scrap.
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