Materials you will need:
- Tissue
- Black marker
- Scissors
- Clear tape
- A balloon
Directions:
Step 1:
Carefully separate the layers of your tissue and pull them apart. We want our tissue paper to be very thin for this activity.
Step 2:
Draw ghosts on your tissue pieces then cut them out.
Step 3:
Tape the bottom of each ghost to your work surface with clear tape.
Step 4:
Blow up a balloon then rub it against your hair or against wool. A fluffy wool sweater or blanket will work!
- While you work on your experiment, ask your scientist some questions:
- Before you hold your balloon over the ghosts, ask your scientist what you think will happen. This called a hypothesis.
- What happened when you rubbed the balloon against your hair or with wool?
- What do you think would happen if we didn’t pull the tissue apart?
Step 5:
Hold your balloon 3-4 inches above your ghosts and move it around to make them rise up from the grave and dance!
*If nothing happens right away, try moving the balloon closer to the ghosts or rubbing the balloon again.
Take the experiment further:
- How many ghosts can you lift up at once?
- How far away can you hold the balloon from the ghosts and still make them move?
- What happens if you use different thicknesses of paper? What about different types of paper? Why do you think some types and thicknesses of paper work better than others?