Hooked on Science: Produce bag flier

It's something we put our produce in, but have you ever considered using your produce bag for a science experiment? Using a few materials from around the house you can turn a produce bag into a science toy.

Materials

* Cotton washcloth

* Produce bag

* Balloon

Instructions

STEP 1: Blow up the balloon and tie off the opening.

STEP 2: Create a ring from the produce bag by cutting a strip from the open end of the produce bag.

STEP 3: Place the produce bag ring on the table and rapidly rub the cotton washcloth on the produce bag ring. Also, rapidly rub the cotton washcloth on the balloon.

STEP 4: Hold the produce bag ring above the balloon. Release the produce bag ring and observe.

Explanation

You gave the balloon a negative charge by rubbing the cotton washcloth on the balloon. The faster you rub the balloon with the cotton washcloth, the more the balloon is negatively charged. You did the same thing when you rubbed the cotton washcloth on the produce bag ring. Like charges repeal while unlike charges attract. Since both the balloon and the produce bag ring have like charges, the produce bag ring hovers in the air above the balloon.

Jason Lindsey is a science outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments.