How to Explain a Balloon Sticking to a Wall

Explain how a balloon sticks to a wall with static electricity.

If you have ever witnessed the mystery of a balloon sticking to a wall, you may wonder how this seemingly magical trick can occur. The explanation is simple science. You can explain the phenomenon by explaining the basics of static electricity. Conduct a simple science experiment to demonstrate how static electricity can suspend the balloon anywhere along the surface of a wall.

Things You'll Need

• Balloon

Instructions

1. Demonstrate how to charge the balloon to make it acquire additional electrons. Negatively charged electrons orbit around the nucleus of an atom. If you rub the balloon against your sweater or your hair, the balloon will acquire additional electrons as they transfer from your sweater or hair to the balloon. These additional electrons will give the balloon an overwhelmingly negative charge.

2. Hold the balloon near a neutral object (such as the wall). When you do this, the negatively charged object (the balloon) will attract the neutral object (the wall), making the balloon stick to the wall.

3. Observe how the balloon instantaneously sticks to the wall. This is because the electrons in the wall move away from the balloon as you press the balloon to the wall. This creates an abundance of positive charges closest to the negatively charged balloon. Positive charges attract negative charges, making the balloon stick to the wall. If you continue to watch the balloon, eventually the abundance of electrons you created on the balloon will subside and the balloon will float away from the wall.

References

• Science Made Simple: Static Electricity