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We aren't getting any sparks... what are we doing wrong?

We didn't get any either, for either of the electricity experiments. My thought was that maybe the air isn't dry enough yet? We plan to try again later in the winter. Anybody else have a better solution?

Erica

We never got any either.

We did it in the laundry room right next to the dryer, first time was a bust... but we tried again and got a few. not many but a few.

We didn't get any either

I read on a science page online that humidity does matter. We have had nonstop rain here lately... so there you go We will have to try again another day.

The air has to be pretty dry. We did it in the laundry room and had better luck. Actually, I had laundry I'd forgotten to put a dryer sheet in, and when I pulled it out we had a few 'sparks' that I showed the kids later. We had a good talk about how the exact conditions of the air, temperature, etc. make a huge difference in science experiments, which is why science laboratories have to be set up so very carefully with so many controls, and that sometimes, the experiment not working provides more important findings than when it does! I love to remind the dc of Edison's famous quote in regard to the light bulb (of which there are several variations), but the general gist...
“I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”

I'm not sure I'd make it to 10,000 times to make sparks fly , but if Edison could do it, I guess we could too! Or, there is always the dryer...

In Christ,
Julie