======Van de Graaff Confetti======


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**Alternative titles:** Dancing Confetti, Electrostatic Confetti Fountain
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Place the Van de Graaff generator in an open area where loose confetti can safely scatter.  
  - Put a handful of lightweight confetti or tissue-paper bits in a plastic bowl on top of the dome.  
  - Switch on the generator to begin charging the dome.  
  - Watch as the confetti pieces gain the same charge and begin to repel each other, flying off the dome in different directions.  
  - Turn off the generator and discharge the dome with a grounding rod after the demonstration.  




====Links==== 
Van de Graaff Confetti Explosion - Jefferson Lab: 
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====Variations====
  * Try different materials—tissue paper, aluminum foil bits, feathers, or Styrofoam beads to compare effects.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Always use the grounding rod to safely discharge the dome before and after use.
  * Avoid performing near sensitive electronics, as sparks and static discharges may cause interference.  
  * Ensure participants do not touch the dome while it is charged.




====Questions to Consider====
 * Why do the confetti pieces fly apart instead of staying on the dome?  
  * How does this demonstration show the principle that like charges repel?  
  * What properties of the confetti (e.g., mass, material, surface area) affect how they move?  
  * How does this demonstration compare to the pie plates or hair-raising Van de Graaff demonstrations?  
  * Could this model be used to explain natural phenomena, such as how particles behave in lightning storms?