sci || tech || history on Instagram: "A Van de Graaff generator produces extremely high-voltage static electricity by building up electric charge on a smooth metal dome. When a person touches the dome, the charge spreads evenly across the surface of the body. Each strand of hair gains the same type of electric charge, and because like charges repel, the hairs push away from one another and rise upward. The effect is strongest on long, dry hair because dry air slows the loss of charge, allowing t

Universalhub on Instagram: "This video offers a classic and electrifying demonstration of physics in action. A student is shown placing her hand on a Van de Graaff generator, a device that accumulates significant amounts of static electricity. As the machine runs, it transfers electrons to the student's body; because each individual hair follicle becomes similarly charged, they begin to repel one another. The result is a humorous and striking visual where her hair stands on end, reaching upward