Hard Science's video: Making Fractal Patterns with Electricity

WATCH OUTTAKES HERE: http://testu.be/1m4u7Uk Watch Anthony and Tara slow down mini lightning bolts and make Lichtenberg figures in wood! Experiment Tips: - Do not soak wood board with saline solution, simply apply one or two sprays onto the wood to start the reaction. - Place the nails closer together, about 4-6 inches apart, for a stronger charge bewtween the two nails. List of Materials Used: - Wood Pieces - Saline Solution (water + salt) - Nails - Hammer - Neon sign transformer or other high voltage supply - Clamps/Chargers Lichtenberg Figures and Snowflakes http://chemistry.about.com/b/2005/09/11/lets-make-lichtenberg-figures.htm Like snowflakes, every Lichtenberg figure is unique and is a natural work of art. Why Salt Water? http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_does_a_salt_solution_conduct_electricity Salt solutions conduct electricity because they dissociate into respective ions which gets attracted towards cathode or anode according to their charge and this movement of ions conduct electricity. Lightning Branch Patterns http://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=2290 Lightning bolts are effectively one-dimensional, but they must distribute electrical charge to a three-dimensional volume, and therefore must take jagged, branching paths to fill up the space in the most efficient manner. No, this episode didn't make Anthony bleed. Buy the Bacon Band-Aids seen in the video here: http://mcphee.com/shop/bacon-bandages.html ======================== Join Anthony Carboni and Tara Long as they turn the world around them into a giant science experiment. New videos every Wednesday! Watch Hard Science on TestTube: http://testtube.com/hardscience Subscribe now! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=hardscienceshow Watch extra footage from Hard Science here: http://testtube.com/hardscienceextras Follow Hard Science on Twitter: http://twitter.com/hardscienceshow Like Hard Science on Facebook: http://facebook.com/hardscienceshow Add Hard Science on Google+: http://goo.gl/BKfY3U Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Tara on Twitter: http://twitter.com/taralongest Special thanks to our Science Advisors! Kishore Hari: bayareascience.org Zeke Kossover: www.kossover.net Hard Science Crew: Executive Producer: Barry Pousman Producer: Nicolette Bethea Shooter: Michael Baca Second Shooter: Matt Piniol Production Assistant: Kendall Long Editor: Conor Gordon