Static Electricity Balloon Admirers

Mr. Chapman Science 9 Static Electricity Lab Balloon Admirers Static Electricity – Balloon Admirers

Purpose: To observe the effects of static electricity, and observe the behaviour of charges in relation to other charges.

Materials:

 Balloons

 String

 Felt-tip markers (permanent)

 Adhesive tape

 Wool cloth

Background: Wool cloth readily gives up electrons to other materials it touches. Rubbing a balloon with a wool cloth allows the balloon to accumulate an excess of electrons, and it will become negatively charged.

Procedure:

1. Inflate a balloon and draw a face on it with a permanent marker. Some types of marker may weaken the balloon and cause it to pop.

2. Tie off the balloon and suspend it from a doorway or ceiling using tape and string. The balloon should hang at the level of your head when you stand on the floor.

3. Rub the face of the balloon with a wool cloth. The balloon will now face you and move toward you whenever you approach it. You now have an admirer! Experiment with the balloon and see how you can make it move. Make detailed observations using FULL SENTENCES on your observation page.

4. Try to determine how far away the attractive force is able to act. Record the approximate distance in your observation page.

5. How do you think your admirer will react if you create another admirer? Use someone else’s balloon, or create another one. Rub its face with wool, and Mr. Chapman Science 9 Static Electricity Lab Balloon Admirers suspend it near the first admirer. Describe the way they react to each other. Make detailed observations on your observation page using FULL SENTENCES.

Observations: Write AT LEAST FIVE detailed observations in the spaces below, using complete sentences.

 Mr. Chapman Science 9 Static Electricity Lab Balloon Admirers Analysis: Answer each of the following questions completely.

1. What charge does the wool cloth have? How can you tell this? (2 marks)

2. Why do two admirers, placed beside each other, act the way that they do? (2 marks)

3. What particle moves when you rub the balloon with the wool cloth? (1 mark)

Conclusion: Write a 3 paragraph conclusion for this lab/activity. (5 marks)

In the first paragraph, you should write what you did in the lab and why.

In the second paragraph, explain what the results of your experiment were (this should largely just summarize your observations).

In the final paragraph, explain the meaning of your results. What happened to the balloon when you rubbed it with wool? How were electrons involved? Why did the things you saw occur?