Balloon Attraction (Akiko Arevalo)

Author

Akiko Arevalo

Principle(s) Illustrated

1. static electricity

Standards

• 4th grade:

  • PS: 1.e.

    • Students know electrically charged objects attract or repel each other.

Questioning Script

Prior knowledge & experience:

Students know that objects of opposite charges will attract one another, and objects of like charges will repel each other.

Root question:

Why are the balloons attracted to my hands?

Target response:

The negative charges in the balloons are attracted to the positive charges in my NEUTRAL hands. Since like charges repel, the negative charges in the balloon repel the negative charges in my hands, thus attracting to the positive charges remaining behind.

Common Misconceptions:

The balloons are attracted to my hands because my hands are positively charged.

Photographs and Movies