Static Electricity

Plus, minus, attract, repel

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• Like charges repel, opposite charges attract.
• Charge is conserved. Objects charge up by gaining or losing electrons.
• Charged objects can attract neutral ones by polarizing them.

Steps

1. Balloon and hair
2. Charge
3. Neutral attraction
4. Sparks
5. Why neutral things are attracted
6. Counting electrons