The Balloons and Static Electricity simulation from PhET lets you rub a balloon on a sweater, stick it to a wall and watch the charges move. You can see how charge transfers, why a charged balloon attracts or repels, and how induced charge shows up on a neutral wall. It is free, runs in any browser on a phone, tablet or laptop, and it is a great fit for static electricity and electric charge lessons in Tamil Nadu State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Science and Physics.
What is the Balloons and Static Electricity simulation?
This interactive simulation has a balloon, a sweater and a wall. You drag the balloon, rub it on the sweater and watch electric charges move from one object to the other. You can then bring the balloon near the wall or a second balloon and see attraction, repulsion and induced charge. Because it runs on HTML5, there is nothing to install, and it works on phones, tablets, Chromebooks and computers.
Elementary school to university
Drag the balloon, add a second balloon, reset
Phone, tablet, Chromebook, PC
English
PhET’s learning goals are to describe and draw models of charge transfer, induction, attraction, repulsion and grounding, and to predict the force at a distance for different charge arrangements.
Launch the Balloons and Static Electricity simulation online
Tap or click inside the player and drag the balloon. Use the full-screen button in the player for a bigger view.
Credit: University of Colorado Boulder
How to use the Balloons and Static Electricity simulation, step by step
- Predict first. Before you rub the balloon, say what you think will happen to the charges.
- Rub the balloon on the sweater. Drag it back and forth and watch which object gains negative charge and which is left positive.
- Bring the balloon near the wall. Notice that the wall is neutral overall, yet the balloon can still stick to it.
- Look at the charges on the wall. The charges shift slightly. This is induced charge, also called polarization.
- Add a second balloon. See how two charged balloons push each other apart, and how a charged and a neutral balloon behave.
Tip for students: turn on the charge display and count the extra negative charges on the balloon. Fewer charges means a weaker pull or push.
The idea behind the simulation: Coulomb’s law
F = k × q₁ × q₂ ÷ r²
Here F is the electric force in newtons (N), q₁ and q₂ are the charges in coulombs (C), r is the distance between them in metres and k is about 9 × 109 N·m²/C². Like charges repel and opposite charges attract. Doubling the distance makes the force four times smaller.
Worked example: Two small balloons each carry 1 µC (1 × 10−6 C) and are 10 cm (0.1 m) apart. The force is F = 8.99 × 109 × 10−6 × 10−6 ÷ 0.1² ≈ 0.9 N. Real balloons carry much less charge than this, so the real force is far smaller. Use the simulation to see the pattern, not exact numbers.
Static electricity key terms explained
These are the words you will meet while using the Balloons and Static Electricity simulation, with simple meanings.
Static electricity
A build-up of electric charge on an object’s surface, usually after rubbing two materials.
Electric charge
A property of matter. Charge is positive or negative and is measured in coulombs (C).
Charge transfer
Electrons move from one object to another when they rub. The object that gains electrons becomes negative.
Attraction
Opposite charges pull toward each other. A negative balloon is pulled toward a positive area.
Repulsion
Like charges push apart. Two negatively charged balloons repel each other.
Induced charge
A charged object makes the charges inside a nearby neutral object shift, without touching it. This is also called polarization.
Grounding
Connecting an object to the Earth lets charge flow away and the object becomes neutral.
Electric force
The push or pull between charges. It acts at a distance and gets weaker as the distance grows.
Common mistakes: Thinking the neutral wall has no charges at all (it has equal positive and negative charges), saying protons move when you rub objects (only electrons move), and forgetting that a neutral object can still be attracted to a charged one.
Try the electric force calculator (practice what you explore)
Enter two charges and the distance between them to see the electric force and whether it attracts or repels. Use a negative number for a negative charge. Then tap a “what if” button.
What you will observe in the simulation
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Rub balloon on sweater | Electrons move to the balloon, so it becomes negative |
| Two negative balloons close together | They repel each other |
| Charged balloon near neutral wall | The wall’s charges shift and the balloon is attracted |
| Charged balloon near the sweater | Opposite charges attract |
| Distance doubled | The force becomes one quarter |
Classroom activities for teachers
The Balloons and Static Electricity simulation fits a single 40-minute period.
- Predict and test (10 min): students write a prediction before each action, then check it in the simulation.
- Draw the model (10 min): students sketch the charges on the balloon, sweater and wall after rubbing.
- Attract or repel (10 min): use two balloons and decide which arrangements push apart and which pull together.
- Exit ticket (10 min): students explain in two sentences why a charged balloon can stick to a neutral wall.
Looking for the matching chapters? Browse the Science and Physics books on TN SchoolBooks and download the Samacheer Kalvi PDFs, then use this simulation to make the electricity lessons visual. More free science simulations and textbook PDFs are on the home page.
Quick quiz: test your understanding of static electricity
Score: 0 / 5
Balloons and Static Electricity simulation: frequently asked questions
Is the Balloons and Static Electricity simulation free?
Yes. PhET simulations are free to run online in a browser. Check PhET’s licensing page for reuse terms.
Does it work on a mobile phone?
Yes. It is built with HTML5 and works on phones, tablets and Chromebooks. Use landscape mode or the player’s full-screen button for a bigger view.
Why does a balloon stick to the wall after rubbing?
Rubbing gives the balloon extra electrons, so it is negative. The negative balloon pushes the wall’s electrons slightly away, leaving the wall surface a little positive near the balloon. The balloon is then attracted to that surface.
Do protons move when objects are rubbed together?
No. Only electrons move. Protons are held inside atomic nuclei, so the object that gains electrons becomes negative and the one that loses them becomes positive.
The Balloons and Static Electricity simulation turns invisible charges into something you can drag, test and see. Explore it, take the quiz above, and keep experimenting until predicting attraction and repulsion feels easy.