Shooting puffed rice

Charge a plastic spoon with a woolen cloth and hold it over a dish containing puffed rice. The grains jump up and remain hanging on the spoon until suddenly they shoot wildly in all directions.

The puffed rice grains are attracted to the electrically charged spoon and cling to it for a time. Some of the electrons pass from the spoon into the puffed rice, until the grains and the spoon have the same charge. Since, however, like charges repel one another, we have this unusual drama.