🦋 Static Electricity Butterfly
Rub a balloon on your hair and watch tissue-paper butterflies magically leap into the air!
🧰 What you need
🔬 Steps
- 1
Cut several small butterfly shapes from tissue paper (about 4 cm wide).
- 2
Inflate the balloon and tie it closed.
- 3
Rub the balloon vigorously on your hair or a wool sweater for about 20 seconds.
💡 The longer you rub, the stronger the static charge — try rubbing for 30 seconds! - 4
Hold the balloon about 5 cm above the tissue butterflies — watch them jump up!
💡 Don't let the balloon touch the butterflies or they'll stick to it!
🧠 The Science
Rubbing the balloon on hair or wool transfers tiny particles called electrons onto the balloon's surface, giving it a negative electric charge. The tissue paper butterflies are neutral (no charge). Opposite charges attract: the negatively charged balloon pulls positive parts of the neutral tissue paper toward it, making the butterflies leap up. This is static electricity — the same force that makes your hair stand up after taking off a jumper!
📚 Related Lessons
- 🌍 Day & Night — Why day turns to night and back again.