glow tube


 
Rub a flourescent light tube with a nylon, wool or silk cloth or plastic food wrap. The static charges produced will cause the tube to glow if viewed in a very dark room. This works best when the air is dry with relative humidity less than 60%. If humidity is 50% or less you can charge an inflated balloon by rubbing it with a cloth and then touch the end of the tube to the balloon to make the tube glow. For most areas of the world humidity that low is normal only within a heated building when the temperature outside is 10 degrees F or less.