Activity
Separate Salt and Pepper With Static Electricity
What's the quickest way to separate salt and pepper? Let static electricity do the work! One of the classic static electricity experiments for kids, this salt and pepper separation demonstration will fascinate your child. Even better, everything you need can probably be found in your kitchen.
What You Need:
- Salt
- Pepper
- Plastic spoon
- Wool cloth or clothing
What You Do:
- Help your child measure about a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper. Then, have her use the spoon to mix them together as well as she can.
- Ask her what she thinks is the best way to separate the salt from the pepper. Can she think of a way to separate them using only the spoon?
- Have her rub the plastic spoon on a piece of wool cloth. Tell her that as she rubs the spoon, she's giving the plastic spoon a negative charge. Something that's negatively charged will attract the positive particles in different objects.
- Have her hold the spoon about an inch above the pile of salt and pepper. Both salt and pepper will be attracted to the spoon, but pepper is lighter, so if she holds the spoon in the right place, the pepper should jump up and cling to the spoon!
For another fun experiment with static electricity check out this magic balloon experiment.
Related learning resources
Investigate Static Electricity
Activity
Investigate Static Electricity
Introduce your child to the amazing, almost magical phenomenon of static electricity!
2nd grade
Science
Activity
Does Hair Color Affect Static Electricity?
Science project
Does Hair Color Affect Static Electricity?
Does hair color affect static electricity?
2nd grade
Science project
Balloon Static
Activity
Balloon Static
Introduce your second grader to the crazy world of static electricity with just a balloon and a sheet of paper.
2nd grade
Science
Activity
Pepper and Soap Experiment
Science project
Pepper and Soap Experiment
Use pepper and soap to discover some fun facts about the properties of water.
2nd grade
Science project
Fiction Vs. Nonfiction
Worksheet
Fiction Vs. Nonfiction
Learn to separate fact from fiction with this comparative worksheet.
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Magic Soap Experiment
Activity
Magic Soap Experiment
Your child will do a fun science experiment using soap and pepper flakes to help understand the concepts of water molecules and the surface tension of water.
2nd grade
Science
Activity
Terse Verse
Activity
Terse Verse
Combine rhymes, riddles and poetry with a terse verse! What do you call floral electricity? Flower Power!
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Activity
Counting Syllables: Part III
Worksheet
Counting Syllables: Part III
Here's a fun syllables worksheet for beginners, where your student can come up with his own words to separate and count the syllables.
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Counting Syllables: Part IV
Worksheet
Counting Syllables: Part IV
Help your student practice clapping out his syllables, and come up with his own words to separate and count.
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Crystal Wonderland
Science project
Crystal Wonderland
The objective of this science fair project is to examine the effects of temperature on salt and water solutions, as they form crystals over time.
1st grade
Science project
Rainbow in a Jar
Science project
Rainbow in a Jar
Kids will make a beautiful rainbow in a jar and learn what enables different types of liquids to remain distinct in separate layers.
2nd grade
Science
Science project
Color Changing Milk Experiment
Science project
Color Changing Milk Experiment
Milk is made of water and fat; but how can you separate the two? Find out in this color changing milk experiment.
2nd grade
Science project
See this activity in a set:
Sizzling Science Crafts