The Homeschooler

One Shocking Balloon Activity

Paul Nathan Negrean -

The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate the effect of electricity upon balloons and strings.

  1. Prepare your desk: Ensure your hands are dry and remove any water from the surrounding area.
  2. Charge the balloon: Rub the surface of a balloon with a sock until it becomes electrically charged.
  3. Observe the electric change: move the charged balloon above your arm and watch as your hair raises.
  4. Do the experiment: Attach a string to a stick and bring it near the charged balloon without touching it. Observe how the string acts, it will show the direction of the electric field at all points around the balloon.

Conclusion:

Rubbing a sock on a balloon will charge it with static electricity. The electricity is located in the area where you rubbed the sock. The electricity will fade the farther you get from the spot where you rubbed the balloon.