Static electricity experiement

As part of our Metals and Magnets unit, we looked into static electricity. Once everyone had had a go with the different materials (balloons, plastic rulers), we had a class discussion. 

This resulted is us realising that static electricity will only pick up light things, to which Anika H said that she was able to lift the heavy A1 sugar paper that was being held on the whiteboard with a magnet strip. So out came the balloon again and she was right.

We had another class discussion on how this could happen as the paper is heavy? See our thinking below. Then we used a magnet to test out some of the thinking and decide if it was true or false. 

Great hands on learning, great discussion and great opportunity to test our new knowledge.     

 

Why did the balloon lift the paper on the whiteboard but not on the floor?

Darryl: The whiteboard is magnetic and the magnet goes through the paper and it lifts the paper up from the whiteboard. Then it sticks to the balloon. FALSE

David: The balloon couldn’t lift up the paper on the floor because the floor does not have iron in it. FALSE

Deysharn: The floor isn’t magnetic. TRUE

Ella: The balloon has lots of magnetic stuff in it but the floor doesn’t. The whiteboard has iron in it. FALSE

Mia: It is hanging up on the whiteboard. On the floor it can’t go up because it is lying flat on the ground.

Katelyn: On the board it is easier for the balloon to get it but on the floor it is not that easy.

Ella: On the whiteboard it is light because it is hanging up. On the floor it is heavy because it is lying flat. 

Odd or even?

We have been looking at odd and even numbers in Room 16. 

Did you know that if a number ends in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 then it is an even number. This means every digit has a buddy and no one is left out. But if a number ends in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 then it is an odd number. This means that one digit is left out as it has no buddy.

We made predictions, solved the problems in buddies using blocks and came up with conclusions about what happens when you add an even number with an even number. 

 (Can you spot the not so delibrate mistake by Whaea Eve? Room 16 noticed it straight away!)

We did it again for odd plus odd. 

Then odd plus even or even plus odd and it will always give you then same answer, no matter which way you add it. In fact, in Room 16 we try to add from the biggest number. 

This can help us to make predictions when adding big numbers together. So if we solve this problem: 26 + 48, and get the answer 73 then we must have got it wrong as an even number plus an even number = an even number. So we know to go back and check out workings out as we MUST have made a mistake (answer is 74 in case you were wondering!). 

The magic of Raglan sand