The Digital Bits Science Labs are fun science experiments for young children. Kids, make sure you have an adult's permission before trying any of these science experiments.
Digital Bits Science Lab
Science Experiments for Kids, Parents and Teachers
How to separate salt and pepper
Description:
This experiment shows how to separate pepper and salt using a balloon and static electricity.
Equipment needed:
One balloon (a comb and some plastic hairbrushes will also work well for this, particularly if you’re worried about the balloon bursting)
A cloth (wool will work best)
Salt
Pepper
Safety glasses
The Digital Bits Science Lab Experiment:
Wear safety glasses for this experiment – you don’t want salt or pepper getting in your eyes.
Mix a small pile of salt and pepper. The challenge here is to separate the salt from the pepper.
It’s easy if you have a balloon: inflate the balloon. Rub the cloth on the balloon, and the balloon will become negatively charged. This means the balloon will become attracted to objects that have a different charge. Luckily for us, the salt and pepper fall into this category.
After charging the balloon, hold it above the salt and pepper mixture and slowly bring it closer. You’ll see the pepper fly up and stick to the balloon, leaving the salt behind. The salt stays put because it’s heavier than the pepper. This is why you want to move slowly, because if you move too close too fast, the salt will also fly up and attach to the balloon.
When you’re done, you can either wipe or wash the balloon off to remove the pepper. Don’t pop it, or you’ll get pepper everywhere!
Other articles related to this topic:
- Move a stream of water with a balloon and static electricity
- Learn the basics of static electricity and electron transfer
- Why is it easier to swim in the ocean? Learn about buoyancy.
- Food coloring fireworks with oil-water separation
- Open your fingers and try to drop something: experiment with the body and its limitations
Enjoyed the lab activities. I was looking something using electricity to introduce Electricity and Magnetism
Thanks for the idea! I’ll add experiments about electricity and magnetism to my “to do” list.
We tried this (or one of the many variations of it) but it worked three times out of eight + tries.
The plate was plastic or plastic coated.
Just pepper.
Balloons were charged with human hair (rubbing on head).
In once instance the pepper leaped off the plate.
The noticable variables between attempts were the kids’ feet (some were barefoot, others sandles, and various types of shoes)
Length of hair. Longer hair seemed to help. One person got it to work by rubbing the balloon on a localized part of the head towards the back. When it did work, the person who held the balloon held the plate.
The experiment was pre-tested and worked, as I was told. The person who performed this with these children was terribly embarrassed and so now I’m seeking out an answer to help her feel a little better.
I’m leaning towards the shoes or the plate since anytime this experiment is found on the web, I see (when it specifies) paper of styrofoam plate. I’m also thinking the shoes were part of it, although shoes were never noted during the experiment so I don’t know the relationship shoes:success.
Thanks.
HI CAN THIS BE DONE USING COMBS TOO? WHAT ARE THE VARIABLES AND WHATS THE CONTROL? THANKS
we have tried this experiment for our science fair but the salt comes up with the pepper.
do you know how we can prevent this from happening?
THANKS!
you two should bring the charged balloon slowly at the top of the pepper-salt mixture. You’ll see!
thank-you so much i needed it for my science assignment just got to write it up now
It helped us on our home work thanks for the help
Salt and pepper both will be attracted, the problem is probably hair products.
If you want a much better charge get some styrofoam, take out containers work well.
Is it necessary to have both the salt and pepper? Styrofoam and salt work best.