5. METHOD
Part A: Rubbing a balloon
1. Blow into a balloon and tie off the
end when it is inflated with air.
2. Rub the balloon on your clothes. It
will acquire a small electric
charge. Does it want to stick to
them? Does the balloon tend to
stick onto the wall? Write your
results.
3. Rub the balloon over a friend’s
hair. Does their hair tend to be
attracted to the balloon? Does the
balloon attract small pieces of
paper? Write your results.
6. METHOD
Part B: Rubbing perspex and silk,
and ebonite and flannel
1. Move the perspex rod briskly
against the silk cloth as if you
are brushing the dust off it.
2. Place this near the pieces of
paper and observe.
3. Charge the perspex rod again
and place it near a stream of
water from the tap. Observe
what happens.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 with the
ebonite rod and wool cloth.
7. RESULTS
• Part A:
• Part B:
Scenario Observations
Balloon rubbed against clothes
Balloon rubbed against hair
Object Observation with
paper
Observation with
stream of water
Perspex and silk
Ebonite and wool
8. DISCUSSION
1. Why do the pieces of paper get attracted to the
balloon and the rods?
2. Why does the stream of water attract or repel the
rods?
3. Describe why the balloon and the rods need to be
constantly charged.
