Nature Example
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The Bee's Electric-KISS!
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Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Click here for the license
Have you ever rubbed a balloon on your jumper and made your hair stand on end? That's static electricity. Bees use this to get pollen!
Nature's Example:
As a bee flies through the air, its furry body rubs against tiny air particles, building up a positive static charge. Flowers on the ground have a weak negative charge. When the positively charged bee gets close to the flower, the lighter pollen (which is also negatively charged) is pulled towards the bee. It jumps from the flower onto the bee's furry body, sticking to it like a magnet!
💡 Fun Facts
- A flower's electrical charge changes for a short time after a bee has visited. Other bees can sense this change and know not to waste time visiting an empty flower!
- A spider's web also uses the static electricity in the air to help it attract and catch tiny insects and bits of pollen.
- The "crack" you sometimes hear when you pull off a jumper in the dark is a tiny spark of static electricity, just like a mini-lightning bolt.