Balloon Static Electricity Lab
Rub a virtual balloon to build up static charge, then test how strongly it attracts or repels different materials. Discover how the number of rubs and the distance from the surface affect the electrostatic force.
Guided Experiment: Charge and Force Investigation
If you rub the balloon more times, what do you predict will happen to the attraction force on a nearby wall? Will it increase a little, a lot, or not change?
Write your hypothesis in the Lab Report panel, then click Next.
Static Scene
Distance: 5 cmControls
Charge the Balloon
Test Materials
Data Table
(0 rows)| # | Trial | Rubs | Distance(cm) | Material | Force(units) | Attracted/Repelled |
|---|
Reference Guide
What is Static Electricity?
Static electricity is an imbalance of electric charge on the surface of an object. When you rub a balloon against wool or hair, electrons transfer from the wool to the balloon, giving the balloon a net negative charge.
Objects with opposite charges attract each other. Objects with the same charge repel each other. This is why a charged balloon sticks to a wall and repels another charged balloon.
Electrons and Charge Transfer
All matter contains protons (positive) and electrons (negative). Normally these balance out. When two materials rub together, electrons can jump from one surface to the other.
The balloon gains extra electrons (negative charge). The wool loses electrons (positive charge). More rubs transfer more electrons, building a stronger charge.
Coulomb's Law Basics
The electrostatic force between charges follows Coulomb's law. In this simplified model:
- Force grows with the square of charge (doubling rubs quadruples force)
- Force shrinks with the square of distance (doubling distance quarters force)
This "inverse square" behavior means static effects drop off very quickly with distance.
Real-World Static Examples
Static electricity appears in everyday life. Here are some familiar examples:
- Hair standing up after removing a sweater
- Clothes clinging together from the dryer
- A spark when touching a metal doorknob after walking on carpet
- Lightning - a massive static discharge between clouds and ground
- Dust clinging to TV or computer screens