======Levitating Tinsel======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
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**Alternative titles:** Flying Tinsel, Levitating Tinsel
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Make a loop of aluminized tinsel, leaving two ends (legs) hanging.  
  - Tape a Styrofoam cup upside down in the center of an aluminum pie pan to form a handle.  
  - Rub a large Styrofoam sheet with wool for at least 30 seconds to charge it.  
  - Place the pie pan on top of the charged Styrofoam. Touch the pie pan with your finger to give it a positive charge.  
  - Pick up the pie pan using only the Styrofoam cup handle. Keep your hands away from the metal.  
  - Turn the pan upside down, holding it above your head with the flat side facing up.  
  - Hold the tinsel loop about 10 cm above the pie pan, then release it.  
  - Observe as the tinsel falls, briefly touches the pan, and then repels upward, floating in mid-air.



====Links==== 
Science Experiments: Flying Tinsel - STEM Learning: 
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📄 Flying Tinsel - Exploratorium: [[https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/flying-tinsel]]\\


====Variations====
  * Experiment with different tinsel lengths and shapes (e.g., strips vs. loops).  
  * Test how humidity affects the ability to hold a charge.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Use only in dry conditions; high humidity reduces effectiveness.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why does the tinsel float above the pan instead of sticking to it? (Because after touching the pan, both the tinsel and pan have the same charge, so they repel.)  
  * Why does the tinsel open into a circle as it floats? (The positive charges spread out along the tinsel and repel each other.)  
  * What would happen if you touched the tinsel while it was flying? (It would lose its charge and fall.)  
  * How is this similar to static cling in clothing or the way photocopiers work? (Both involve electrostatic attraction and repulsion.)