[MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [ZAP] I hate that!
Why do you get shocked sometimes when you get out of your car?
Or when you touch a doorknob?
Or when you take off a sweater and hug someone?
And is there a way to not get shocked?
To prevent this from happening, you have to figure out what's happening.
So this is called a Van de Graaff generator.
I use it a lot in science demos for kids.
It's a machine that builds up a ton of static charge-- that is, a bunch of positive charges on the outside of this metal sphere-- so that when I bring this smaller grounded metal sphere close to it, it discharges through the air in a giant metal spark that will shock you.
Ugh, I hate that.
