Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

My science fair project this year was to test whether or not the flow rate on a Kelvin Electrostatic Generator affects the time between the sparks (in the "Water Drops and Sparks! Experimenting with a Kelvin Electrostatic Generator!"), however, I modified the project so that I am testing whether or not the flow rate on a Kelvin Electrostatic Generator affects the amount of electricity produced in a certain amount of time (in 1 minute). The Kevin Electrostatic Generator that I built is not sparking! I double checked everything and the water is flowing, and my alligator clips are hooked up correctly. When I originally built my generator, I used nails then changed it to brass knobs but neither of them sparked. I think that the problem is that the brass knobs and the nails that I am using is not conductive enough. I even checked online in a few websites and they said that:
a. It might be too humid
b. I need brass knobs (instead of nails)
c. Make sure nothing is wet
I did all of these things yet it never worked! I am thinking of getting silver knobs because silver is the most electrically conductive. I do live in Hawaii and my dad mentioned that because of the humidity, my experiment probably won't work at all. Do you think that that is true and do you have any suggestions that I can try out?

Thank you for your time and I appreciate any feedback you can give me.
-- Brennan

Hi BrennanT,
First off, I just want to say great job on taking the initiative to investigate / troubleshoot your experiment!
It seems like you have done everything correctly. The only thing that jump to mind is the type of water are you using. (Specifically, is there any chance that you are using de-ionized water?)

Your experiment should still work even though you are in Hawaii. It is possible that when it is too humid, (say 80% humidity or higher), charges will not build up since it can dissipate through the air. In general, the lower the humidity, the better this experiment will work. If humidity is an issue, do you have access to a dehumidifier and dry up the room?

Best of luck with your experiment and please let us know if there's anything else we can do to help.
Willey