Did you get to play with electric currents or were you grounded? An electrifying simulation shows how building up a charge of electricity creates a static shock once grounded. Pupils rub John's foot across the carpet and view the buildup of negative charges throughout his body. Then as his hand moves near a metal doorknob, a shock is felt as the charges become neutral.

Concepts

static electricity, electric charge, voltage

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Ask for a volunteer to perform the activity in person and attempt to measure the arc of electricity
• If a carpet square (plush works best) is not available, use a balloon

Classroom Considerations

• Requires the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer 10+

Pros

• Includes a PDF document with an overview of the controls, simplification ideas, and insights into student thinking
• Provides links to eight teacher-created lessons that use the simulator
• Translates into more than 30 languages

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.6-8.9 RST.9-10.9 RST.11-12.9