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Benjamin Franklin
Scientist, Inventor, Energetic Leader
Have you ever watched lightning during a storm?  Have you ever wondered abut its power?  Have you ever wanted to know more about it?  Ben Franklin did.
Ben suspected that lightning was an electrical current in nature, and he wanted to see if he was right.  One way to test his idea would be to see if the lightning would pass through the metal.  He decided to use a metal key and looked around for a way to get the key up near the lightning. As you probably already know, he used a child’s toy, a kite.
His stormy kite flight in June of 1752 helped Ben understand the power of lightning.  He also knew that it was dangerous. That’s why he figure out a way to protect people, buildings and ships from it, the lightning rod.
Today we are going to make our own  very, very tiny lightning.
What do you need?
Scissors
Styrofoam tray
Masking tape
Aluminum pie tin
What do you do?
Cut a piece off one corner of the Styrofoam tray, as the picture shows.  You’ll have a long bent piece that looks like a hockey stick.
"Tape the bent piece to..."
Tape the bent piece to the center of the pie tin.  Now you have a handle!
"Rub the bottom of the..."
Rub the bottom of the Styrofoam tray on your hair.  Rub it all over, really Fast!
"Put the tray upside down..."
Put the tray upside down on a table or on the floor
Use the handle to pick up the pie tin.  Hold it about a foot over the Styrofoam tray and drop it.
"Now-"
Now- - very slowly - - touch the tip of your finger to the pie tin.  What happens?
"Use the handle to pick..."
Use the handle to pick the pie tin up again.  Touch the tine with the tip of your finger. You get another spark!
"Drop the pie tin onto..."
Drop the pie tin onto the Styrofoam tray again.  Touch the pie tin.  Another spark! Use the handle to pick up the pie tin.  More sparks!
You can do this over and over for a long time.  If the pie tin stops giving you a spark, just rub the Styrofoam tray on you head again, and start over.
You have created your very own lightning!  How does this happen?  The lightning bolt is a dramatic example of static electricity in actions. If you would like to know more about it click on this website.
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