Shown only in the first photo
is a small Van de Graaf electrostatic generator. These students stood
on an all plastic foot stool, placed their hand on the charge collecting
sphere of the generator and soon became "charged". Since objects
that are charged the same repel each other, the hairs on their head soon
started to repel each other. The degree of repulsion is affected
by the chemical makeup of the hair itself as well as the commercial additives
that may have been present (conditioner, hair spray, etc.). Photos
taken before we hung up the backdrop did not turn out well. My apologies
to the students who were in those shots. We will give you another
chance soon.
