Classroom mode

Run it in class

Why does rubbing a balloon on your hair make it stick to the wall?

Show of hands — before you project anything

Predict before testing: if we touch the charged balloon to a metal pole, will it still stick? Then drain it and check.

  • A Way more than you'd guess
  • B About what you'd guess
  • C Way less than you'd guess

Count the votes out loud. Hold them to it — then watch.

Project it (fullscreen)

Discussion prompts

  • Predict before testing: if we touch the charged balloon to a metal pole, will it still stick? Then drain it and check.
  • Predict whether a charged balloon can stick to a wall that has no extra charge of its own, then explain how the wall's own charges shift.
  • Predict which day a balloon stays stuck longer — a damp summer day or a dry winter day — and say why.

Where it shows up in real life

  • The zap and crackle when you pull a sweater off over your head
  • Hair standing up after you take off a winter hat
  • A balloon from a party clinging to the wall or the ceiling

A prediction-first worksheet — no answer key.

zero prep · no login · any projector

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