balloon and static electricity experiment

• Demonstrations
• Home Experiments

Balloons and Static Electricity

• by Joe Crowley
• in Home Experiments
• on January 4, 2021

Contributed by Sabrina Brickner

Introduction

• How does charge work? Can we really see how electrons work without fancy science tools?
• Someone with hair on their head
• A working faucet
• An empty metal can
• Blow up a balloon.
• Rub it on your head.
• Watch what happens to the balloon and your hair.
• Turn on your sink and put the balloon close to the water without letting the balloon touch the water.
• Watch what happens to the stream of water. 
• Try moving the balloon around a little bit (without touching the water) and see what happens.
• Get an empty metal can and lie it on a hard surface (like the floor or a kitchen counter) such that it can roll. 
• Put the balloon close to the can without touching them together.
• Slowly move the balloon away from the can and see what happens.

Physics Concepts and Questions

How does this work?

Static electricity arises from an electrical charge imbalance. In this experiment, when we rub the balloon against our hair, we transfer negative charge to the balloon in the form of electrons. This means that the balloon is now negatively charged, and our hair is positively charged. When we put the balloon by our hair, they attract because they are oppositely charged. This same idea of opposites attracting applies to the water coming out of the faucet, and the empty metal can. 

How can the water be positively charged if we haven’t done anything to it like we did in the case of rubbing the balloon on our hair which makes our hair positively charged?

When water comes out of the faucet it is neutral, meaning that it has positive and negative charges in it. However, when we bring the balloon close to the water, some of the negative charge is repelled away into other parts of the water (the top and bottom of the stream), leaving the middle of the stream of water (by the balloon) positively charged. Since this part of the water is positively charged, and the balloon is negatively charged, they attract.

What about the metal can? Can electrons really travel through metal like they travel through water?

Yes they can! The same thing happens here! Some of the positive charge in the can goes to the other side of the can, leaving the side facing the balloon positively charged. Thus the balloon and the can attract. 

Conclusions and Further Investigations

• If you rub the balloon on your head 2 times, does it bend the water more, less, or about the same as rubbing the balloon on your head 10 times?
• Does the temperature of the water make a difference?

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Roll a can with static electricity, you will need.

* An empty soda can * blown-up balloon * A head of hair

1. Place the can on its side on a flat smooth surface like a table or a smooth floor.

2. Rub the blown up balloon back and forth through your hair really fast.

3. Now the fun part – Hold the balloon close to the can without actually touching the can. The can will start to roll towards the balloon without you even touching it!

Try This Too: While you’ve got the balloon out, tear up part of a tissue into tiny pieces about 1/4 inch (.5 cm) big. Rub the balloon in your hair again and bring it close to the tissue pieces. They will be attracted to the balloon and then jump away.

How does it work?

This works a lot like our bending water experiment. When you rub the balloon through your hair, invisible electrons (with a negative charge) build up on the surface of the balloon. This is called static electricity, which means “non-moving electricity” The electrons have the power to pull very light objects (with a positive charge) toward them – like the soda can.

MAKE IT AN EXPERIMENT

The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. To make it a true experiment, you can try to answer these questions:

1. Does the size of the balloon change the power of the pull?

2. Does the length of the persons hair effect the power of the static electricity?

3. How much water can you put in the can until the balloon can’t pull it anymore?

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Static Electricity with Balloons: Using a balloon to attract paper

As we head into the colder months, it’s the best time to talk about static electricity with your little one!

Static electricity is the result of a build-up of electric charge in an object. When a balloon is rubbed on a piece of wool or your hair, it picks up electrons and becomes negatively charged. In this experiment, we make the paper move by attracting it to the charged balloon.

This is a fun experiment because kids LOVE to see how much of their hair they can stand up using the balloon!

How to make the Static Electricity with Balloons science experiment

Supplies you will need.

For this experiment, you’ll need the following:

Before you start

Since we are playing with static electricity, there is a chance that someone could get a small shock during this experiment. That shock is not harmful but could surprise you!

Also, since we are using scissors, keep a close eye on your child during this experiment so they do not cut themselves.

Instructions

Here is how to do the Static Electricity with Balloons science experiment:

Step 1: Cut your paper into small pieces

I chose to cut up the paper into small 1″ pieces, but any size will be fine for this experiment. You get a bigger reaction by having smaller pieces since those will actually stick to the balloon when you lift it. But even a corner of a whole sheet of paper will lift off of the table with enough charge!

If you are using styrofoam plates, now is the time to cut them into pieces as well.

Get your child involved : If you choose to cut up your paper, have your child do the cutting for you. We tried toddler scissors, but they didn’t work great on tissue paper. We ended up just using our hands (a good fine motor skills activity!).

Step 2: Blow up the balloon and tie it off

My child had a blast trying to blow up a balloon herself. It’s certainly not easy, especially for toddlers, to blow up a balloon, so you may need to step in and do it yourself.

Step 3: Rub the balloon on your head for at least one minute

This is where the fun really begins! Rubbing the balloon on your hair transfers electrons over to the balloon, which temporarily gives it a negative charge.

Get your child involved : My child loved having the balloon rubbed on her head, and even better, enjoyed her hair sticking straight up as a result.

Step 4: Hover the charged balloon over the paper

The negatively-charged balloon attracts the neutrally-charged paper by first repelling the negative charges away, which leaves the positive charges closer to the balloon. Since opposites attract, the paper is attracted to the balloon and is picked up.

Get your child involved : See if your child is able to charge the balloon enough to pick up some of the paper.

The science behind the Static Electricity with Balloons science experiment

This experiment teaches:

• What static electricity is
• How do we transfer electrons
• How you can build up and discharge static electricity

How it works

By rubbing a balloon on our head, we transfer electrons from our hair to the balloon.

Once we transfer enough electrons over to the balloon, the balloon has a negative charge to it. Then, when we bring the balloon closer to the neutral paper, the paper is attracted to the negatively-charged balloon.

What is static electricity?

In simple words, static electricity is the result of an imbalance between negative charges and positive charges in an object.

Those charges build up until they can be discharged, which is why you get shocked when you touch something (or someone) with a build-up of static electricity.

How we transfer electrons

The transfer of electrons can occur through conduction, polarization, and friction.

Conduction is the transfer of energy from one atom to another by direct contact. In this case, it is the movement of electrically charged particles through a medium. A van de Graaff generator is an example of transferring electrons using conduction.

Polarization happens without direct contact between two objects. If a negatively-charged object comes near a neutral object, the electrons in that neutral object move away from the charged object that is approaching it.

Friction occurs when two objects rub together and transfer electrons in the process. A great example is rubbing a balloon on your hair to make your hair stand up. Because the balloon attracts electrons more strongly than hair does, electrons are transferred from your hair to the balloon.

How you build up and discharge static electricity

We build up static electricity by building an electric charge. There are lots of variables that contribute to building static electricity.

You may notice that you get shocked a lot more often in the wintertime than in the summertime. That is because water is a great conductor, so when the air is humid, the negative charges that build up on your body can dispel in the air. In the winter, the air is less humid, so we get no help from the air to dispel those negative charges.

As electrons build up in an object, that object becomes more and more likely to attract an electric current.

Questions to ask while experimenting

• Before watching the paper react: What do you think will happen between this balloon and the paper?
• What will happen if we rub the balloon on our hands instead of our hair? Will the paper stick to the balloon?

More physics experiments to try out with your child

• Magnetic Slime: A fun twist to playing with slime to teach magnetics
• Catapults: Build a catapult to talk about energy transfer and see what you can launch
• Dancing Rice sound science: Use sound vibration to make rice dance!

FAQ about the Static Electricity with Balloons science experiment

Why do we get shocked more by static electricity in the winter.

Winter typically brings cooler, drier air, which allows electrons to travel more easily. When the air is more humid, that water vapor works to pull charge from building up on you. And when the air is drier (like in the wintertime), your body can hold onto the charge. Once you discharge that buildup on say, a door knob, it results in a shock.

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Posted by Admin / in Energy & Electricity Experiments

There are plenty of great static electricity experiments out there for kids, but this simple experiment uses something kids love, balloons. The balloons add a fun factor to a science experiment to help kids connect with the concept of static electricity. This experiment is easy to set up and easy to clean up afterwards.

Materials Needed

• 2 or more balloons (break the kids up into small groups - 2 balloons per group)
• 2 pieces of string (2 or 3 feet in length - each group)
• plastic wrap

EXPERIMENT STEPS

Step 1: Blow up at least two balloons. Tie the balloons and let them hang down so they are about 2-3 inches apart.

Step 2: Observe what happens when the balloons hang down on the strings.

Step 3: Rub both balloons with a piece of plastic wrap for about 20 seconds. Observe what happens to the balloons.

Step 4: Rub both balloons with a piece of wool cloth for about 20 seconds. Observe what happens to the balloons.

SCIENCE LEARNED

The rubber material in a balloon is similar to the insulation on an electrical wire. Electrical charge does not transfer across the surface of the balloon, it tends to stay localized in one spot. Cloth materials like wool easily give up extra electrons. When wool is rubbed across the surface of a ballon, extra electrons from the wool transfer to an area on the surface of the balloon giving it a negative charge. The majority of the surface of the balloon still has a neutral charge. Rubbing a balloon on hair will have the same result.

If two balloons are both rubbed with wool, they both have a negative charge. Try rubbing the wool over most of the balloon's surface to ensure that the negative charge is consistent over the entire surface. The two equal (negative) charges push away from each other

The opposite charge is created on the surface of the balloon when it is rubbed with plastic wrap. The balloon has a positive charge. Two balloons both rubbed with plastic wrap, however, have the same result. The two equal (positive) charges push away from each other.

When one balloon is rubbed with wool and one balloon with plastic wrap, the result is opposite charges. In this case, opposites truly attract. The positive and negative charges attract each other. This is the key science concept of this experiment. Positive and negative charges attract each other, but the same charges push away from each other.

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What you need:

• Plastic Pen
• Small scraps of paper (holes from a hole puncher work well)
• Rub your hair on a balloon or wool sweater. What happens to your hair? Try to stick the balloon to the wall. Does it stick?
• Rub a plastic pen on the wool sweater and hold it near a stream of water. What do you observe?
• Rub the pen on the sweater again and try to pick up small pieces of paper.

What’s going on?

In all of these experiments, we are manually moving electrons from one material to another. Your hair stands up because it is full of electrons. The electrons don’t like each other and are trying to get as far away from each other as possible. The balloon sticks to the wall because it creates an induced charge. The positive charge of the balloon attracts electrons from the wall and the balloon sticks! The same thing happens with the pen and the water and the pen and the paper.

Magic Goo! Balloon Static Electricity Experiment

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Looking for a really fun and easy science experiment for kids of all ages? You will love making this Magic Goo ! This  Static Electricity Experiment for kids is a fun, hands-on way to explore static electricity for kids . Use Magic Goo Balloon to explore static electricity experiments with preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students.

Are you kids still enthralled by slime? I think most children experienced the slime phase in one way or another, I mean stores were literally out of white glue for weeks. Some children phased out of that while others, like my child, could play with slime all day every day. In my head though, it was time to mix it up. Add a little more science into her play and have a different kind of slime fun. So we experimented with different slimes and static electricity and found this magic goo! Your preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, and grade 6 students will love this  Static Electricity Experiment . 

Static Electricity Experiment for Kids

All you need for this simple, but amazing  science activity for kids  are a couple common household items:

• vegetable oil
• bowl to mix it in
• filled balloon

Magic Goo Balloon

We tried a few different types of slime and some did not work. We tried to encourage movement with static electricity and it just would not work. Nothing moved, except our eyes with anticipation. But then, a play on ooblek worked! Ooblek is cornstarch and water. The concoction that when hard you can break it with a hammer but when lifted up it can ooze through your fingers. Pure magic. I didn’t think anything could beat that, but I was wrong. We mixed corn starch with oil. Vegetable oil to be exact and WOW!

Static Electricity Experiments

We mixed one part vegetable oil, to 1 part cornstarch. You may have to play with the ratio slightly, but it should make a goo, but not watery. It should have some movement but just a tad bit. When it was ready to go, we put it on a cookie sheet. I blew up a balloon and my daughter rubbed it on her hair. This is my favorite way to create static electricity. Another way to describe static electricity to kids is when they get shocked. If someone walks by and barely touches them and a SPARK is felt. No not the I’m in love spark, but the static electricity spark.

Static Electricity for Kids

After she had built up quite a bit of static electricity by rubbing the balloon on her hair, we held the balloon next to the goo. LOOK! Can you see how it’s spiking up towards the balloon? The static electricity is pulling the goo towards the balloon. That is pure magic! Science is SO cool! So the reason this happens is the cornstarch has a positive charge, while the balloon (charged by rubbing on her hair) has a negative charge. The positive charge is attracted to the negative charge and they want to be together. How cool is that??

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Six Fun Static Electricity Experiments for Science Students

Krystal DeVille

December 18, 2023

Electricity is a large part of our daily lives. Without it, we would be able to engage in any activities.

We often don’t know exactly how precious it is until we experience a power outage. Electricity doesn’t just involve currents- it also allows individuals to move, think and feel. We explore several different static electricity experiments that illustrate what this natural phenomenon can do.

Table of Contents

Experiments Using Static Electricity

Experiments using static are fun. When most people consider experiments using static electricity, then envision the one involving hair and a balloon. However, many additional experiments will amaze children of any age and can effectively also illustrate how physics and chemistry are used in creating illusions.

*Warning: These experiments may debunk some well-known magic tricks!

Before we get into all the static electricity experiments, be sure to grab my free eBook with over 25 STEM experiments for kids. For all my free downloads, check out this page here.

1. Static Electricity Butterfly

• Age: Elementary school
• Time: 15 minutes
• Difficulty Level: Easy

This experiment demonstrates how static electricity can move the wings on a tissue paper butterfly. 

• Googly eyes
• Cardstock paper
• Tissue paper

Instructions:

• Begin by cutting a square piece of cardboard into a 7″x 7″ square.
• Draw butterfly wings on a piece of tissue with a pencil. Make sure that it is smaller than your square. Cut the butterfly out and place them on the cardboard piece without gluing it.
• Cut the body of the butterfly using cardstock. Once finished, glue it to the middle of the butterfly. Make sure it overlaps the cardboard to prevent the wings from flying off. The wings need to be loose to demonstrate the effects of static electricity.
• Glue googly eyes on the butterfly. You can use pipe cleaners for antennae if you would like.
• Blow up the balloon.
• Rub the balloon on your hair to provide a static (electrical charge). Hold the balloon to the top of the butterfly. It should be close to it but shouldn’t touch the butterfly. You should see the wings lower and raise as the balloon is moved closer and further in distance. 

The Science Behind the Experiment

When a balloon is rubbed on hair, electrons form. Electrons go from the hair and are given to the balloon generating static. When a negatively charged balloon comes into close contact with positively charged tissue, they generate an attraction. The pull of the charged attraction enables the paper to move towards the balloon.

Static electricity experiments are fun to do. It incorporates both the principles of physics and chemistry into something very simple. It is the perfect way to engage any child in STEM education while teaching them that learning can indeed be fun.

2. Flying Bag Experiment

• Age: Any age
• Time: A few minutes

No, this isn’t done by using an updraft of air but with static electricity. This is what levitates the bag into the air.

• Light plastic bag
• Piece of material
• Plastic Rod
• Use the piece of cloth to run the plastic rod’s surface for 40 seconds.
• Flatten a plastic bag. Then rub the piece of fabric against the bag’s surface for 40 seconds.
• Release the bag and watch while it levitates in the air while the rod is waved below.

The fabric and rod become negatively charged after rubbing them together. Like charges are known to repel each other, so the bag appears to repel when the wand is waved.

My kids loved all the microscope activities we did hands-on in this article. It’s a great way of opening the world to what they can’t see!

3. Hovering Plates

• Age: Elementary School

Using magnets is not the only way that items can repel each other. Hovering plates illustrates this concept very well.

• 2 Styrofoam plates
• Piece of fabric, or your shirt
• Using the piece of fabric, rub the base of one plate.
• Put the plate (base up) on any flat surface.
• Attempt to place the other plate (base down) on top of the other plate. The two plates will repel each other.

This experiment works based on the principle of static electricity. This occurs when two things are rubbed together. The one plate receives electrons directly from the fabric and then becomes negatively charged. In turn, the electrons generated repel the other plate.

4. Bending Water Using Static Electricity

In nature, water can bend due to the moon exerting tidal forces. The same phenomenon can be accomplished by using static electricity.

• Running water
• Piece of cloth
• Plastic Rod or thick straw. My son used a smoothie straw like this because it’s thicker and works a little better.
• Use the fabric to rub the surface of the rod for 40 seconds.
• Create a stream of water by turning the tap on.
• Place the rod close to the water and watch with amazement as the stream bends.

This experiment can also be done using a comb. It would be best if you rubbed the comb against your hair for it to work. Then, you can use it to bend water.

Rubbing the material on the rod generates negatively charged ions. This repels the electrons found in the water. The water closest to the positioning of the rod receives positive charges from it. The attraction between positive and negative charges creates a force on the water, allowing it to appear as if it were bending.

5. Separating Pepper and Salt

Have you accidentally spilled both the salt and pepper? Here is a convenient way to separate them and sort through this lovely mess!

• Fabric or your shirt
• Thick straw
• Mix one teaspoon of pepper and salt thoroughly. 
• Rub the straw on the fabric for 40 seconds.
• Place the straw over the mixture. The pepper should jump and adhere to the straw (if it’s held over the correct places).

The granules of pepper and salt are positively charged. As a result of gaining electrons directly from rubbing the cloth, the straw attracts these positive charges located in the mix. Since pepper is lighter, it will jump with greater ease to the straw.

6. Bubble Moving Balloon

This trick is fun and easy. It will delight young children and amaze older ones. 

• Smooth sheet plastic, glass, or a kitchen plate like we used
• Dishwashing soap or bubble solution
• Charged balloon
• Spread the bubble solution on a sheet of glass or plastic. Blow larger bubbles on the sheet with the straw. 
• Charge an object like a balloon.
• Place the object near the bubble and watch as they follow the charged object. 
• Watch it move around the glass/plastic top.

Soapy water is drawn (attracted) to any object that is charged. When there is a large bubble, you can watch it move around.

Wrapping Up

I love static electricity experiments because they can be done with stuff you have lying around your house, not especially tools required. Our favorite experiment was the butterfly one. My three-year-old pretty much thought it was magic.

Another easy item to pick up is pop rocks. My kids had a great time with all the science experiments involving the cracking, popping treat in this article. Please check out our article, Fun Pop Rock Experiments Exploring Viscosity .

5 thoughts on “Six Fun Static Electricity Experiments for Science Students”

Great ideas here with materials that are readily available.

Thank you for ideas and a wonderful resource.

Kind Regards, Jan (Grandmother – Australia)

The salt and pepper experiment mentions a spoon in the directions, but it seems like it should be a straw according to the rest if the directions.

You’re right Kathryn, and thank you for pointing that out to me! The article has been updated 🙂

In the fourth one about bending water, one of the materials say ‘piece of clot’ not cloth. Just a minor error.

Thank you, good catch! I updated it.

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Three Fun Static Electricity Experiments to Do at Home

Experimenting with static electricity is a great way to introduce young kids to science and spark their curiosity to learn more. Here are three quick, hands-on experiments you can try at home. Each experiment takes only a few minutes and uses materials you probably already have at home.

What You’ll Need:

• Salt and pepper
• Small bowl or plate
• Plastic spoon
• Empty aluminum cans
• Your own head of hair! (to generate a static charge)

What You’ll Do:

Experiment #1: Bend Water

• Blow up a balloon and tie the end. Rub the balloon on your head until your hair sticks up to create a static charge.
• Turn on the kitchen faucet to create a stream of water about the same thickness as a pencil.
• Slowly bring the charged balloon up to the stream without touching it. The stream of water will bend as it flows around the balloon.

Experiment #2: Separate Pepper from Salt

• In a small bowl, mix a good amount of salt and pepper together.
• Rub a balloon on your head until your hair sticks up to create a static charge.
• Slowly move the charged balloon over the salt and pepper mixture in the bowl. As the balloon gets closer to the mixture, the pepper will fly upward toward the balloon, separating from the salt.

Experiment #3: Can Races

• Gather a few empty (and clean) aluminum cans.
• Arrange the cans in a line on a hard, smooth floor.
• Rub a balloon on your head to create a static charge.
• Place the balloon behind each can to see it roll away by itself.
• Set up a can race to see who can move their can the fastest using the power of static electricity.

How does the science work? Objects can become either positively or negatively charged through friction. In these experiments, the friction is created by rubbing a balloon on your head. Charged objects exert forces on each other that either attract or repulse.

What Kids Learn

• Critical Thinking
• Creative Thinking

How to Support the Play

• Remember: There is often more than one “right way” of doing things.
• If your kid asks for help, try and guide them without taking over. Nudge them along with suggestions framed as questions. “What would happen if…?”
• Ask questions about why your child thinks the static electricity is affecting the water, pepper and cans.

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There’s no substitution for hands-on exploration. Letting kids (safely) experiment with real tools, such as a glue gun, provides opportunities to build confidence, independence, creative thinking skills and more.

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Easy Static Electricity Experiment with a Balloon

Categories STEM Activities

Want a super-easy science demonstration for static electricity? This static electricity for kids experiment is easy and fun for kids of all ages.

My kids are big fans of science projects and Christmas STEM activities . We tried a static electricity experiment years ago, but it was high time we tried another.

This static electricity experiment with a balloon came about when we tried to levitate a tinsel orb, but our tinsel was too thick.

However, we quickly found that static electricity could act like tape and hold the tinsel to the balloon.

Learn how to conduct your own static electricity for kids demonstration below!

Related: Kids Science Projects 

Static Electricity Demonstration for Kids

This static electricity experiment is quick and easy, which makes it perfect for kids of all ages!

What is a static electricity demonstration?

A static electricity demonstration shows the scientific concept of static electricity.

To be a science experiment, students need to test variables.

You can test variables in this experiment by using different sizes of balloons, different things that may cling to the balloon (like tissue paper or water), or allow the kids to test their own variables.

But if you follow the directions as listed, then your static electricity science for kids activity will be a demonstration of a scientific concept, not a complete experiment.

Demonstrations can be used in science or STEM labs to illustrate the basics of a concept that children can then explore in small groups or on their own.

Static Electricity for Children Explantion

Static electricity is electrons that aren’t moving.

Usually, electricity travels in currents or waves from one point to another. But if the electrons in a molecule get charged and have nowhere to go, they are static electricity.

When you touch something that has a static electricity charge, you complete the circuit and the charge is transferred to you (or whatever touches it).

This is why sometimes you feel a tiny shock, see a spark, or have a reaction like your hair standing on end when you touch a charged balloon.

What you’ll need for this science demonstration:

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links for your convenience at no cost to you.

Static electricity experiment directions:

Blow up the balloon and set it aside.

Tie the tinsel into a bow shape. We just used one piece, but you could experiment with thicker bows to see if the experiment will still work.

Let each kid rub the balloon on their heads. Their hair will stick to the balloon, which is usually fun for the kids to see.

Drop the tinsel bow onto the balloon. Instead of sliding off, it will stick to the balloon.

You might even be able to turn the balloon upside down without the bow falling off.

My kids thought this was the best activity ever. Once you remove the bow, the balloon has to be recharged.

The kids spent nearly half an hour repeating this activity.

It’s even more fun when you do it in the dark because you might see a spark of electricity!

Try rubbing the balloon on different surfaces to see if you get different results!

Share this project with a friend!

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Static Electricity Experiments For Kids

Ever noticed how when you rub a balloon against your hair, it sticks to the wall? That’s static electricity in action! Learn more about this fun science concept with simple static electricity experiments, and everyday examples of static electricity. Enjoy hands-on physics experiments for kids!

Explore Static Electricity For Physics

Static electricity happens when tiny particles called electrons build up on an object, making it either positively or negatively charged.

When these charged objects get near each other, they can do some pretty cool things, like making your hair stand on end or attracting small things, like pieces of paper or confetti.

So, static electricity is all about the invisible forces that make objects stick together or repel each other, and it’s a fun and fascinating part of science that you can explore with simple static electricity experiments below.

💡For more ways to explore physics with kids, check out our list of easy physics experiments .

Examples of Static Electricity

Here are some everyday examples of static electricity that you can explain to kids. These examples help kids understand that static electricity is all around us, and it can be both fun and surprising when we see it in action. It’s like a little bit of science magic happening every day!

• Balloon on the Wall: When you rub a balloon against your hair and then stick it to the wall, it’s static electricity at work. The balloon becomes negatively charged from the friction, and it sticks to the wall, which has a different charge.
• Walking on Carpet: Sometimes, when you walk on a carpet with socks, you may feel a shock when you touch a metal doorknob. This happens because you build up a charge by rubbing against the carpet, and when you touch the doorknob, the charge flows and gives you a little shock.
• Socks and Jumping Beans: Sometimes, when you take off your socks after walking on a carpet, they might attract small items like jumping beans or bits of paper. The socks get charged as you walk, making them attract other small objects.
• Static Cling in the Dryer: When you take clothes out of the dryer, they might sometimes stick together or to the sides of the drum. This happens because of static electricity from the friction of the clothes rubbing against each other.
• Balloons Stick Together: If you rub two balloons against your hair and then bring them close together, they might stick to each other. This is because the like charges (both negatively charged) on the balloons repel each other.
• Crackling Sounds in the Winter: In cold, dry weather, you might hear crackling sounds when you touch things or take off your winter hat. That’s static electricity being discharged.
• Lightning: Explain how lightning during a thunderstorm is a massive example of static electricity in nature. It happens when negative charges build up in the clouds and discharge as a bright bolt of lightning to the ground.
• Petting a Cat or Dog: Sometimes, when you pet your cat or dog, you might feel a little shock when you touch their fur. It’s because of static electricity from friction between their fur and your hand.

Here are some simple and fun examples of static electricity experiments and demonstrations that are great for learning at home or in the classroom.

Rolling Can Static Electricity

The rolling can experiment provides a tangible demonstration of static electricity’s captivating nature! Grab a balloon and an aluminum can to get started.

Bending Water

Can you bend a stream of water with static electricity? It’s an easy and fun science demonstration for people of various ages to try.

Static Electricity with Balloons

Rub a balloon against your hair or a piece of wool cloth, and then place it near small pieces of paper. The paper should be attracted to the balloon, demonstrating the effect of static electricity. What happens when you use different types of cloth?

We’ve tested lightweight paper, tissue paper, and tinsel! What else can you test?

Static Electricity with a Plastic Straw

Rub a plastic straw with a piece of cloth or fur and then use it to pick up small pieces of paper or confetti. The static charge on the straw will make the paper pieces stick to it.

Static Electricity with a Plastic Bag

Inflate a plastic bag and rub it against your hair or a piece of fabric. Hold the bag near a wall, which should stick to the wall due to the static charge.

Static Electricity with a Balloon and Salt and Pepper

Rub a balloon against your hair and then bring it to a plate of salt and pepper. The salt and pepper will be attracted to the balloon, demonstrating the power of static electricity.

Static Electricity with a Comb and Water

Run a comb through your hair and bring it near a thin stream of water. The water will be attracted to the comb and bend towards it.

Check out the experiment details further below!

Static Electricity with Cornstarch Goop

Make electric goop ! Mix up a batch of cornstarch oobleck and test out the power of static electricity with a balloon.

What Is Static Electricity?

Think of tiny invisible particles called electrons as little magnets. Everything around us, like your hair, a balloon, or even a piece of cloth, is made up of these particles. Learn more about electrons here.

Sometimes, when two things rub against each other, like when you rub a balloon against your hair, the electrons can get all jumbled up and move from one thing to the other.

When this happens, one thing gets extra electrons, and the other thing loses some. The one with extra electrons becomes negatively charged, like a minus sign, and the one that lost some becomes positively charged, like a plus sign.

These opposite charges make things stick together or repel each other, like magnets with opposite ends.

So, when you rub the balloon on your hair, it’s taking some of your hair’s electrons, making the balloon negatively charged.

That’s why the balloon can stick to the wall or make your hair stand up—all because of those jumbled-up electrons creating static electricity. It’s like a tiny invisible magic show happening all around us!

Also Try: Static Electricity Butterfly

Make it fly! Harness the power of static electricity.

• Lightweight Paper/Tissue Paper
• Tape and Scissors

Instructions:

STEP 1: Cut out a butterfly shape from lightweight paper or tissue paper,

STEP 2: Attach a small piece of tape to its center and affix it to a straw.

STEP 3: Generate static electricity by rubbing a balloon against the fabric. Hold the charged balloon near the butterfly.

STEP 4: Observe as the butterfly flutters toward the balloon drawn by invisible forces!

Try This Static Electricity Experiment with a Comb

This comb and water static electricity experiment is a fun way to demonstrate the principles of static electricity to kids.

• A plastic comb (the type with fine teeth works well)
• A running faucet or a source of water
• A small piece of dry paper or a small piece of tissue
• A piece of dry cloth or wool (a piece of wool fabric or a wool sweater works great)

STEP 1. Take the dry comb and rub it vigorously against the dry cloth or wool for about 20-30 seconds. This rubbing creates a buildup of static electricity on the comb.

TIP: If the comb is not dry, be sure to dry it with a paper towel or cloth so that it’s completely free of water.

STEP 2. Have a running faucet nearby or fill a small sink with a shallow layer of water.

STEP 3. Now, while still holding the comb, bring it near the running faucet or the water surface without actually touching the water.

You should see that the water stream bends toward the comb, as if the comb is magically attracting the water.

TIP: You can also try this with a small piece of tissue instead of running water. When you bring the charged comb close to the tissue, you’ll notice that it’s attracted to the comb.

What is happening?

When you rub the comb against the cloth or wool, it picks up extra electrons and becomes negatively charged. The water or tissue has a positive charge.

Opposite charges attract, so the negatively charged comb attracts the positively charged water or tissue. This is a simple demonstration of the principles of static electricity.

Make sure to explain this concept to the kids while conducting the experiment, and encourage them to try it themselves. It’s a great way to make science fun and interactive for children.

Helpful Science Resources To Use

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

• Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
• Science Vocabulary
• 8 Science Books for Kids
• All About Scientists
• Science Supplies List
• Science Tools for Kids
• Join us in the Club

More Physical Science Activities To Explore

• Gravity Experiments
• Magnet Activities
• Simple Machine Projects
• Potential & Kinetic Energy
• Light Experiments
• Surface Tension Experiments

Science Experiments By Age Group

We’ve put together a few separate resources for different age groups, but remember that many experiments will cross over and can be re-tried at several different age levels. Younger kiddos can enjoy the simplicity and hands-on fun. At the same time, you can talk back and forth about what is happening.

As kiddos get older, they can bring more complexity to the experiments, including using the scientific method , developing hypotheses, exploring variables , creating different tests, and writing conclusions from analyzing data.

• Science for Toddlers
• Science for Preschoolers
• Science for Kindergarten
• Elementary Science by Season
• Science for 1st Grade
• Science for 2nd Grade
• Science for 3rd Grade
• Science for 4th Grade
• Science for 6th Grade
• Science for Middle School

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics

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A hair raising experiment

November 14, 2011 By Emma Vanstone 15 Comments

Have you ever wondered why if you rub a balloon on your hair it makes your hair stand up on end? It’s all to do with something called static electricity .

It’s also static electricity that sometimes gives you a shock when you touch something metal. The conductive metal discharges any static electricity that has built up on your skin creating a small electrostatic shock .

To make your hair stand on end all you need to do is blow up a balloon and rub it on your jumper or hair.

Then place the balloon above your hair or some tissue paper and watch the hair or tissue paper become attracted to the balloon.

Investigate

Try recording the time hair stands up for if you rub it across your head, once, 5 times and 10 times.

Do you think there will be a difference?

What is static electricity?

All objects are made of atoms. Inside atoms are protons, electrons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge, electrons have a negative and neutrons have a neutral charge.

Opposite charges attract each other and like charges repel.

Mostly charges in an object are equal and balanced, static electricity occurs when the charges become imbalanced.

When you rub a balloon on a jumper, you add electrons to the surface of the balloon. Your hair is now more positively charged than the balloon, so when the balloon comes close, the hair is attracted to the balloon and so sticks up on end.

The same explanation works when you stick a static electricity-charged balloon to a wall. Opposite charges attract, so the negatively charged balloon is attracted to the more positive wall.

You could try lots of different items to find out which sticks to the balloon.

More static electricity experiments for kids

Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls shows how to bend water using static electricity .

Try our jumping tissue paper frogs experiment.

Static Electricity Facts

Static electricity is called static electricity because the charge stays in a certain area for a period of time rather than flowing elsewhere.

Lightning is an example of static electricity. Lightning occurs when static electricity builds up in clouds which causes a huge spark to form between the cloud and the ground!

Printers use static electricity to attract the ink to paper.

Electrical components can be very sensitive to static electricity, which is why they are packaged in anti-static bags.

Last Updated on January 24, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

November 14, 2011 at 8:06 am

My boys love doing this with baloons

November 14, 2011 at 12:12 pm

Mine love it too! x

November 15, 2011 at 10:41 pm

My son loves this. He does it with the balloon whenever he gets the chance to.

November 16, 2011 at 9:39 pm

My children do it too, but when I tried to explain it I really struggled. Hence the post!

November 16, 2011 at 2:50 pm

Perfect… I get so many “why why whys…”. I will just read Red Ted this post!

Thank you for linking to Kids Get Crafty!

November 18, 2011 at 4:48 pm

Oh we love doing this in our house too! My kids think it is hysterical! And what a fun way to teach a little science too!

Could you please link up on my Fun Stuff Fridays linky party? I’d love to share this simple and fun idea with my readers.

http://www.toysinthedryer.com/2011/11/introducing-fun-stuff-fridays.html

November 18, 2011 at 11:29 pm

Thank you so much, I’ll check out the linky now. xx

November 19, 2011 at 6:05 pm

What a fun thing to do! Im a new follower! I’m having a giveaway and i’d love if you checked it out!

http://sewfantastic.blogspot.com/2011/11/obol-review-and-giveaway.html

November 21, 2011 at 4:28 am

Did you know if you put the charged balloon next to a stream of water it attracts the water towards the balloon as well. (just a slow tickling stream). Pencil shavings and rice krispies are fun too.

November 23, 2011 at 10:35 pm

oooh i will try that. Apparently if you charge up a plastic comb and then put it near a metal tap, you see a spark! I have yet to make that work though. x

November 24, 2011 at 9:02 pm

Thanks for the refresher course in static electricity! And of course for sharing on Craft Schooling Sunday!

November 26, 2011 at 1:37 am

My kids love doing this! Thanks for sharing it on The Sunday SHowcase- always great to see your science lessons 🙂

November 27, 2011 at 9:06 pm

Thanks, so glad you like them! x

February 15, 2017 at 11:07 am

Nice and easy explanation of the whole experiment. Never tried it, but will do it after reading here.

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