Going Super Saiyan with Static Electricity! A Science Teacher’s Hair-Raising Experiment—20 Years in the Making (Van de Graaff Generator)
I’m Ken Kuwako, your Science Trainer. To me, every day is an experiment.
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been captivated by the mysteries of magnets and electricity. I vividly remember the thrill of seeing objects move through an invisible force without even being touched. Then, one day in middle school, I saw a photo in a science textbook that changed my life. It was a girl with her hand on a silver sphere, her hair standing perfectly straight up toward the ceiling as if she’d been liberated from gravity itself.
She looked just like my favorite anime hero, Goku. In that moment, I made a vow to myself: “One day, I’m going to take a ‘Super Saiyan’ photo just like that!”
Fast forward to high school. In a dusty corner of the physics lab, I finally spotted it—the legendary Van de Graaff generator! I begged my teacher for a chance to try it out. With my heart pounding, I flipped the switch. And yet… no matter how long I waited, my hair wouldn’t budge. All I felt was a tiny “zap” on my fingertips, a small reminder that electricity was indeed flowing. My teacher didn’t explain why it failed at the time, but looking back, the reasons were actually quite simple:
- My hair was too short to catch enough lift.
- I wasn’t properly “insulated.”
The second point was the real deal-breaker. All that precious static electricity I was trying to build up was leaking straight through my feet and into the ground. Electricity is like water—it always looks for the path of least resistance. My body wasn’t acting like a bucket to hold the charge; it was more like a sieve. But even that “failure” and the crackle of electricity on my skin became the spark that fueled my scientific curiosity. I knew that if I could just get the conditions right, I could make that photo a reality.
Hair, Reach for the Heavens!
Now that I’m a science teacher, I have a Van de Graaff generator at my disposal every day! To fulfill my childhood dream, I’ve spent years researching and experimenting. How can I store electricity efficiently? What’s the ultimate insulation material? After plenty of trial and error, I finally nailed the perfect gravity-defying hair photo!
It was a moment of pure scientific joy.
The Experiment
Ready to try it yourself? Let’s walk through the method for a successful hair-raising experience.
What You’ll Need
Van de Graaff Generator
A wig
An insulating platform
Step 1: Choosing the Perfect Wig
While you can use your natural hair, a wig is the way to go if you want truly dramatic results. After testing various styles, I found the “Bob” cut to be the gold standard.
Why the bob? It’s all about the weight of each strand. When the generator fills your body with static electricity, every hair becomes charged with the same polarity. Just like identical poles of magnets repel each other, these negatively charged hairs shout, “Get away from me!” at their neighbors. This repulsive force is what lifts the hair against gravity. If the hair is too long or heavy, the force isn’t strong enough to lift it.
A lightweight, short bob is the ideal style to let the static force work its magic.
Step 2: Building the Ultimate Insulator
The secret weapon for this experiment is the insulating platform. Its job is to stop the electricity from escaping into the ground. I created my own by taking a plastic IKEA chair and attaching sheets of non-conductive rubber to the bottom of the legs.
Materials that allow electricity to flow easily are “conductors,” while those that block it are “insulators.” Humans and the ground are great conductors. If you touch the generator while standing on the floor, the electricity just passes through you and disappears. By physically cutting yourself off from the earth with plastic and rubber, your body finally becomes like a battery, storing the charge until you’re literally buzzing.
Action Time! (Become One with the Static)
Once you’re ready, put on your wig and stand on your insulating platform. Slowly reach out and touch the metal sphere of the Van de Graaff. Feel the charge spread through your entire body. And then…!
A lifelong dream realized! No matter how many times I do this, the sensation of my hair floating upwards never gets old. It’s a bizarre, wonderful experience that I highly recommend. You might even get addicted to the feeling! By the way, this works just as well with a mannequin.
Caution: Van de Graaff generators produce extremely high voltage. This experiment must be performed under professional supervision with strict adherence to safety protocols.
Check out this related article for some “shocking” footage:
More Static Fun
Beyond the “Super Saiyan” hair, there are tons of other mind-blowing experiments you can do with a Van de Graaff. I’ve actually performed these experiments on TV with various Japanese celebrities like Suzu Hirose and Ryohei Suzuki! You can see more of those high-energy experiments right here.
For inquiries regarding static electricity workshops, TV supervision, or appearances, please contact me here.
Special Feature: Warning: Highly Addictive! The Electrifying World of Static Science
Contact & Inquiries
I’m on a mission to bring the wonder of science closer to home! Check out my blog for tips and guides on fun experiments you can try yourself. ・About Ken Kuwako: Click here ・For bookings (writing, lectures, workshops, TV): Click here ・Stay updated on X (formerly Twitter)!
Catch my latest experiments on the Science Hacks Channel!
５月のイチオシ実験！
キーンと冷えるドライアイス！気温が上がってくるこの時期・ドライアイスを使った昇華・凝結・等速度直線運動の実験はいかが？
液体ゼロ！ドライアイスが消えるまでの３時間を科学する（昇華・凝結・等速度直線運動）
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