How would you like to get your breakfast cereal to perform a mexican wave?

You would? Then get hold of some puffed rice cereal, some cotton thread, a needle and an inflated balloon.
First, take the needle and carefully thread one piece of cereal onto the thread.

Pull it down to the bottom and tie a knot in it.
Keep threading cereal on, until you get a nice column like this.

Threading the cereal can be a little bit crumbly - so you need to be patient!
Tape or tie a long column of cereal onto a shelf, so that it hangs freely.
Now take the balloon and rub it all over your hair or clothes, and hold in near to the column cereal.
When you rub the balloon, you're creating a negative electrical charge.

The cereal has a positive charge, and because opposites attract...
...eureka! One mexican wave.
It's the electrostatic action between the balloon and the cereal which makes it perform the mexican wave.

Cool, eh?
© BBC MMI

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