why questions · Ages 6-8

Why Does a Balloon Stick to Hair After Rubbing?

Rubbing moves tiny electric charges onto the balloon, and those charges can pull on hair or a wall.

The whole story

1. On a sunny afternoon, Mina rubbed a bright red balloon on her hair in the playroom.

2. When she let go, the balloon stayed on her curls. A few curls stood up like tiny springs.

3. Mina pulled the balloon free and held it near the wall. It dropped onto the rug. “Why did it stick before?”

4. She rubbed the balloon on her woolly sweater, then held it still. The rubber hugged the sweater for one quiet second.

5. Mina peeled it away and brought it to the painted wall. This time, the balloon stayed there.

6. The wall looked ordinary, and it had not been rubbed. Mina tapped one curl and studied the balloon.

7. Rubbing had moved something too small for her eyes. Tiny electric charges had gathered on the balloon, and they could make the wall’s charges shift a little.

8. Rubbing moves tiny electric charges onto the balloon, and those charges can pull on hair or a wall.

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