Experiment 4: Balloons and Rice Krispies!

In my fourth attempt to study static electricity, I will test it using a balloon and a pile of Rice Krispies. My hypothesis is that yes, the negatively-charged balloon will attract the cereal like it did with the Cheerios, BUT it will not be able to hold the cereal when the balloon is turned right-side up. Let’s investigate this problematic perplexity!

Materials:

   -     a balloon (preferably with a cute face drawn on)

   -       a pile of Rice Krispies

   -  a wool tuque (Or any piece of wool. I just chose a tuque because I’m Canadian.)

Procedure:

1. Blow up the balloon.

2. Rub the balloon vigorously on the wool tuque.

3. Turn the balloon upside down with the butt of the balloon facing up (this way we can tell what will happen when we flip the balloon to right-side up).

4. Slowly lower the balloon towards the cereal and watch what happens to the Rice Krispies!

5. Turn the balloon right-side up.

Okay, what?! The cereal stuck to the balloon, even when it was turned right-side up. How, how, how did this possibly occur?! You see, the attraction of the negative charge and the neutral object does not only apply to that one position. Even when the balloon is moved, and thus effected by gravity in different ways, it still maintains the attraction with the Rice Krispies. (Doesn’t the balloon look so cute now that it has some hair?! No need for that tuque anymore!)

Experiment #5: Balloons and Balloons!

In my fifth attempt to study static electricity, I will test is using two balloons. So far, I have been experimenting with a charged balloon and a neutral object. This time I will use two similarly charged balloons, and study static electricity with two like charges. Like we have studied in physics class, two like charges repel. We will prove this using our balloons "Bob" and "Maurine". I wonder if Bob and Maurine like each other? Let's investigate this mysterious mind-boggler!

Materials:

- 2 balloons (preferably with drawn on faces, "Bob" and "Maurine")

- some thread

- tape

 Procedure:

1. Tie the thread to one of the balloons. As you can see, I have tied Bob on the thread.

2. Rub the same side of each balloon on your hair vigorously. We rub them on the same side so that when you hang one of them upside down with the thread, the charged sides will end up facing each other.

3. Tape the thread attached to the balloon (Bob) onto a surface where the balloon can be hung.

4. Bring the charged side of the free balloon (Maurine) close to the tied balloon (Bob) and watch what happens!

I knew it! Bob and Maurine hate each other! You see, both of the balloons are similarly charged, by rubbing each of them on my hair. This means that since they are similarly charged, they must repel each other. When Maurine is brought closer to Bob, Bob begins spinning away while hanging on the thread because that charged side of Bob is repelled by the charged side of Maurine. This proves that 2 like charges repel. It's okay Maurine. I'm sure there is another Bob out there who can make your life a happy-ever after!