What you need:
An empty soda can. A PVC pipe, A towel
What to do:
1. Place the can on the floor or on a big table on its side.
2. Rub the length of the pipe with the towel. Hover it close to the can and start moving it horizontally, parallel to the ground.
What happens:
The can rolls with the motion of the pipe! You can roll it back and forth without even prodding it!
Why?
The answer is static electricity Static means stationary. When you nub two objects against each other (like the pipe and the towel), they develop stationary electrical charges. To understand why this happens, we have to go to the microscopic level. Everything in our world is made up of tiny particles called ‘atoms. These atoms are, in turn, made up of even smaller particles known as electrons, protons and neutrons. The protons and neutrons remain inside the atom but the electrons like to use any excuse to jump in and out of the atom. When you rub two objects together, the electrons from one object jump to the other. This exchange of electrons is what is termed as electrical charge. Electrical charges attract or repel each other depending on their kind. If two objects have same electrical charges, these charges repel each other. Opposite charges, on the other hand, attract. The can and the pipe seem to have opposing charges on them. So wherever the pipe moves, the can follows.
Picture Credit : Google
