Balloon Hair Static
Three related teacher demonstrations: Balloon Hair Static, Balloon Pulls a Can, Balloon Won't Inflate in Sealed Bottle.
Teaching & key ideas
1. Balloon Hair Static
Materials: Balloon; wool/fleece or hair
What you do: Rub balloon and hold it near hair or tissue bits.
What students see: Hair stands up or paper jumps.
Question: How can the balloon pull without touching?
2. Balloon Pulls a Can
Materials: Empty aluminum can; balloon; fleece
What you do: Charge balloon and hold it near a can on its side.
What students see: The can rolls after the balloon.
Question: Why does the can follow?
3. Balloon Won't Inflate in Sealed Bottle
Materials: Plastic bottle; balloon; bottle with/without small side hole
What you do: Try inflating a balloon inside a sealed bottle, then open a small vent hole.
What students see: Balloon is hard to inflate until air can escape.
Question: What is stopping the balloon?
Lesson flow
Predict → observe three demonstrations → compare what changed → choose independent activity station → cleanup/share.
Guiding questions:
Question: How can the balloon pull without touching?
Question: Why does the can follow?
Question: What is stopping the balloon?