Boom Cracka Cracka Lightning

1
Boom Cracka Cracka Lightning

• By Gail A. Conwell
  6th
  Grade
• Period1
• 2nd Quarter 2010
• Robert Louis Stevenson l Middle
  School

2
Background Information

• Lightning is a giant spark in the sky
• Until the 1700s lighting was a mystery
• Lighting strikes on the earth 100 times a second
• In 1752 Scientist Benjamin Franklin found out
  that lightning is electrical

3
Question

• Will lightning be brighter and louder inside or
  outside ?

4
Hypothesis

• If I make lightning inside then it will be
  brighter and louder outside.

5
Variables Control Variables

• The items I will be testing will be making
  lightning indoors and outdoors.
• The things that I will keep the same is the
  procedure and testing lightning indoors and
  outdoors.

6
Materials

• Foil pie plate
• Ball point pen
• Tack
• Styrofoam
• Glue (if needed)
• Video Camera

7
Procedure To Make Lightning

• First you need to get materials
• Gather materials on counter
• Place the tack in the pie plate (bottom up) the
  sharp point should be sticking out of the pie
  plate
• Place the back of the pen into the tack use glue
  if you need to
• After that do not touch the experiment with your
  hands you cant do it if you do.

8
Continued Procedures

• Take the sock and rub it on the styrofoam
  quickly. This will create a negative charge to
  make the lightning spark
• Pick up the pie plate and place it on top of the
  styrofoam
• Bring your finger to the pie plate with out
  touching it
• Turn off the lights and see the spark

9
Listen closely for a Spark
10
Observation Data
Date Indoors Outdoors
10/24 I was able to hear and feel the lightning I could hear it a little bit
11/10 I could barely hear any thing I could not hear any thing
11/11 I saw a little bright blue light and heard it I could hear it a little bit
11/25 I was able to hear and feel the lightning I could hear it a little bit
11/26 I could barely hear any thing I could not hear anything
11/28 I was able to hear and feel the lightning I could hear it a little bit
11
Humidity in the Air

• I tried to make lighting outside but some times
  that doesnt work.
• Making lighting in the winter time, rainy season,
  did not work because there is too much moisture
  in the air.

12
Conclusion

• My experiment always worked better indoors rather
  than outdoors.
• After researching why my experiment did not work
  as well outside, the reason is there is more
  humidity in the air outside than inside during
  the winter months in Saint Helena.
• My original hypothesis was incorrect because
  there is more humidity in the outside air.
• The more humid the air the harder it is to create
  lightning with this experiment.

13
Work-Cited Acknowledgement

• ? Thank Yous
• I thank Mr. Pham for guidance and advice
• I also thank my mom and dad for helping when I
  got stuck or frustrated
• I also thank uncle bob for helping figure out how
  it works
• Work-cited
• Uman, Martin A. Lightning.World book
  Advanced,2010.Web.26.Oct.2010