Name: ______Date: ______Block: ______
Transitional Science 8/9
It’s Electric Dinner Time! (_____/20)
Purpose: To understand the difference between an insulator and a conductor.
Materials:
Handful of rice 1 x aluminum strip 1 x wool cloth
1 x plastic straw 1 x glass rod 1 x paper towel
1 x comb 1 x plastic strip 1 x cotton cloth
Procedure: (_____/2)
**Safety Measure: DO NOT eat puffed rice cereal. DO NOT use the materials in any other way than what you are told.
1. Get into groups of 3.
2. Place a handful of rice in the middle of the table.
3. For each solid object, you will charge it with each soft material. Stop after 10-20 rubs. Keep it consistent for each object.
4. Place the charged object near the rice.
5. Count how many rice the charged object has picked up.
6. Use your bare hands to wipe each object after each turn to remove excess static charge.
7. Determine whether the object is an insulator or conductor. Record in the data table.
Observations: (_____/10)
Solid Objects / Soft Materials / # of Puffed Rice Cereal picked up / Insulator / Conductor(I / C)
Plastic straw / Wool
Paper towel
Cotton cloth
Comb / Wool
Paper towel
Cotton cloth
Aluminum strip / Wool
Paper towel
Cotton cloth
Glass rod / Wool
Paper towel
Cotton cloth
Plastic strip / Wool
Paper towel
Cotton cloth
Discussion: Write in full sentences.
1. Why do you have to rub the materials in a similar way each time? (____/1)
2. What is grounding and how does it work? (_____/2)
3. Which solid objects are insulators and which solid objects are conductors? Do you agree with your observations? Why or why not? (_____/4)
Conclusion: Write one concluding sentence in full. Refer to the purpose of this experiment. (____/1)