Balloon Magic
Word of the day: static
“I'm going to make your hair stand up without touching it.”
Grab
- a balloon
- their hair or a wool sweater
- tiny bits of torn paper
- a kitchen faucet
A grown-up handles the balloon. Pick up popped pieces right away.
Do
- Rub the balloon on their hair. Lift it slowly. Hair rises up after it.
- Rub again and hold it over the paper bits. They jump up and stick.
- Turn the faucet on to a thin stream. Bring the rubbed balloon close without touching. The water bends.
- Rub it and stick it to the wall.
The big moment
The water stream bends toward the balloon.
Ask (guess first, then try)
- What made the hair stand up?
- Can the balloon pull without touching?
What's going on (for you)
Rubbing moves tiny bits of electric charge from hair onto the balloon. Opposite charges pull on each other, even through the air, so hair, paper and water get pulled toward the balloon. It's the same stuff as a shock from a doorknob and, much bigger, lightning.
If they want more
Works best on dry winter days. Try a plastic comb instead of a balloon.
Look it up
Wikipedia: Static electricity PhET simulation