Halloween Science Experiments for Kids | Spooky Floating Ghosts | Science for Kids

Spooky Science: Making Flying Ghosts with Static Electricity

Halloween is coming, and it’s a great time to have fun with science! Let’s learn how to make flying ghosts using simple things you can find at home. This activity is not only exciting but also teaches us about static electricity.

Materials Needed

Here’s what you’ll need to make your flying ghosts:

• Tissue paper
• Scissors (use safety scissors if needed)
• Felt-tip pen (optional for drawing)
• Balloon
• Your hair (to create static electricity)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Create Your Ghost

First, draw a ghost shape on the tissue paper. You can add arms and a spooky face to make it look cool. Once you’re happy with your ghost, carefully cut it out with scissors. Remember to use safety scissors if you need them.

2. Prepare the Balloon

Next, blow up the balloon and tie it tightly. It might take a few tries, so don’t worry if it doesn’t work the first time. Once your balloon is ready, put it aside for now.

3. Generate Static Electricity

To make your ghost fly, you need static electricity. Rub the balloon on your hair really fast. This will make the balloon negatively charged because it picks up extra electrons from your hair.

4. Make the Ghost Fly

Now, hold the charged balloon close to your ghost. Watch as your ghost lifts off the table! This is how static electricity works its magic.

Understanding the Science: Static Electricity

What you just saw is called static electricity. There are two kinds of electricity:

• Electric Current: This is when electricity flows through wires to power things like lights and TVs.
• Static Electricity: This happens when electric charges build up on something, like your balloon.

When you rubbed the balloon on your hair, it got a negative charge. The tissue paper ghost has a positive charge, and opposites attract, so the ghost rises toward the balloon.

Experimenting with Different Materials

You can try this experiment with different materials to see what happens. Use different types of paper like:

• Tissue paper
• Toilet paper
• Regular printer paper

Guess which one will fly the best and then test it out. You might find that lighter materials fly higher because they are easier for the static electricity to lift.

Conclusion

Making flying ghosts is a fun way to celebrate Halloween and learn about static electricity. Try this experiment with your friends and enjoy some spooky science fun!