Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I completed this experiment according to the directions and was unable to get any sparks to spark. My teacher suggested that I email the company where I retrieved this project. Can i still produce a report based on my outcome of this experiment?

You did not provide enough information about your project for us to answer your question. Did you build the apparatus as described in the Scibuddies project? https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... #procedure

Is the charcoal lighter sparking? You have to make sure you have a spark at the tip of the starter before you can do the experiment with the metal balls.

What kind of metal balls are you using? They have to conduct electricity. Are they making good contact with the electrodes?

Is it very humid where you are? Sparks jump better in dry air.

Check all the connections on your apparatus again and make sure they are tight. Get another sparker if yours doesn't work right.

Let us know if this helps.


Good luck!

Sybee