Uploaded February 2013 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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The Kelvin water dropper (Lord Kelvin's thunderstorm) experiment and how it works. This converts falling water to electrostatic charge, and using a spark gap, to electricity. It makes a fun and great science project. It's also called the Kelvin water drop experiment or Kelvin thunderbolt or Lord Kelvin's thunderstorm, the thunderbolt or thunderstorm referring to the sparks that it makes. I also use the high shutter speed on my camera to show the individual water drops after breaking up from the stream as well as using and electroscope to see the electrostatic charge build up before the spark occurs at the spark gap. I also point out how the droplets repel from the bottom cans as they fall.

To see how to make this, watch "How to Make Kelvin Water Dropper/Lord Kelvin's Thunderstorm":
youtu.be/dB-76NdfTbU

For more information see:
rimstar.org/science_electronics_projects/how_to_make_a_kelvin_water_dropper.htm

See also How to Make an Electroscope video:
youtu.be/2PmWlPjV6n0

and the How to Make a Crystal Radio video:
youtu.be/VqdcU9ULAlA

To follow me on Twitter:
twitter.com/#!/RimStarz

rimstar.org