| Earth science experiments are a fun and practical | | | | Fun Earth science experiments can include creating |
| way to study the Earth's processes. This is a great | | | | lightning in a pan. In addition to adult supervision, you will |
| category to choose if you are interested in things like | | | | need an aluminum pie plate, a ball point pen, a thumb |
| fossils, minerals, rocks, earthquakes, volcanoes, | | | | tack, a wool sock and a piece of Styrofoam. To get |
| weather, oceans, marine life or prehistoric creatures. | | | | started you will need to push the thumb tack up |
| Lightning is one phenomenon that appeals to a lot of | | | | through the center of the pie plate, and then push the |
| people and can make a fun topic for an experiment. | | | | end of the pen onto the tack. You may have to |
| Lightning is not only beautiful, inspiring poetry and | | | | secure it with glue if it will not stay on its own. Next, |
| paintings, but can also be very destructive, often | | | | you will rub the Styrofoam quickly with the wool sock, |
| causing city wide power outages and raging forest | | | | and then pick up the aluminum pie plate with the pen. |
| fires. The average lightning bolt is only about five | | | | Place it down on top of the Styrofoam. Be sure not to |
| kilometers long and about the width of a finger, but it | | | | touch the pie plate with your hands. Turn off the lights |
| heats the surrounding air to a temperature five times | | | | and slowly bring your fingers close to the pie plate. |
| hotter than the surface of the Sun. It produces enough | | | | You should hear, feel and see a tiny spark. You have |
| energy to power a 100 watt light bulb for three | | | | just created your very own lightning bolt! |
| months. | | | | |