======Static Electricity with Balloons====== **Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\ **Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\ **Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\ \\ **Categories:** {{$demo.categories}} \\ **Alternative titles:** Attraction and Repulsion with Balloons ====Summary==== {{$demo.summary}} ====Procedure==== - Blow up two balloons and tie them. - Hang one balloon from the ceiling with a piece of yarn so it is free to swing. - Rub the hanging balloon on your hair to charge it. - Rub the second balloon on your hair to give it the same charge. - Bring the second balloon close to the hanging one without touching. Observe how they repel each other. - Discharge the balloons by touching them together or touching them with your hand. - Rub only one balloon on your hair and bring it close to the neutral one. Observe that this time they attract. ====Links==== Repelling Balloons - Science Mom: {{youtube>T5v2dWkuB0E?}}\\ đź“„Pushing Balloons - Frugal fun for boys and girls: [[https://frugalfun4boys.com/static-electricity-science-experiments/]]\\ ====Variations==== * Try rubbing the balloon on different materials (wool, cotton, synthetic fabric) to compare static charge effects. * Charge one balloon while leaving the other neutral to compare attraction vs. repulsion. * Put a charged balloon onto an [[demonstrations:home_made_electroscope|electroscope]] to show it's charge. ====Safety Precautions==== * Supervise young children to avoid choking hazards with broken balloon pieces. ====Questions to Consider==== * Why do the two balloons repel each other when charged the same way? * Why do a charged balloon and a neutral balloon attract each other? * How does the electroscope show that invisible charges are present? * Why do static electricity experiments work better on dry days than humid days? * Can you think of real-world examples of static electricity (e.g., clothes from a dryer, lightning)?