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Created 3/25/18. Updates available online.

Balloons and Static Electricity

Balloons and Static Electricity Screenshot
  • Static Electricity
  • Electric Charges
  • Electric Force
Java Logo Original Sim and Translations

About

Topics

  • Static Electricity
  • Electric Charges
  • Electric Force

Description

Why does a balloon stick to your sweater? Explore the charges in the sweater, balloons, and the wall as you investigate!

Sample Learning Goals

  • Describe and draw models for common static electricity concepts (transfer of charge, induction, attraction, repulsion, and grounding)
  • Make predictions about force at a distance for various configurations of charge
Version 1.2.4

For Teachers

Teacher Tips

Download teacher tips PDF Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ).

Teacher-Submitted Activities

Title Gold Star Contribution Contribution by PhET Authors Level Type
Static Magnetic and Electric unit (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS HW
Lab
Demo
Balloons and Static Electricity for Middle School A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. PhET Middle School Team MS Demo
Lab
Electrical Charge Lab A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Dr. Wendy Adams HS
MS
UG-Intro		 Lab
Introduction to Electrostatics A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Karen King MS
HS		 Lab
Balloons and Static Electricity A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. UTeach Middle School PhET Team MS Lab
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS Other
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? This contribution was designed by PhET. Sarah Borenstein MS Other
PhET Sims Aligned to the Chemistry Curriculum This contribution was designed by PhET. Julia Chamberlain HS
UG-Intro		 Other
Electricity Simulations Analysis Chris Leverington MS
HS		 HW
Guided
Lab
Electricidad y magnetismo desde la metodología del aprendizaje virtual Patricia Abdel Rahim HS Lab
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment Elyse Zimmer HS
MS		 Other
Exploring Electric Chrages Matt Simkins HS
MS		 Guided
Lab
Static Electricity Lab! Jamie Schoenberger MS Lab
Guided
Preguntas de razonamiento para todas las simulaciones HTML5 A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López HS
UG-Adv
Grad
K-5
MS
UG-Intro		 HW
Discuss
Simulações no Ensino de Fisica Carla Tavares HS Lab
HW
Guided
Demo
MC
Discuss
Other
Práctica virtual "Electroestática" Amaya Garcia-Barahona HS Lab
Guided
Modelos Atomicos Andrés Gualberto Palomo Cuevas HS Guided
Carga Patricia Abdel Rahim UG-Intro Lab

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Translations

Language Download or Run Tips
Basque All Basque Run now Globoak eta Elektrizitate estatikoa
Belarusian All беларускі Run now Шарыкі і статычная электрычнасць
Bosnian All Bosanski Run now Baloni i statički elektricitet
Bulgarian All български Run now Наелектризиране на тела
Chinese (Simplified) All 中文 (中国) Run now 气球和静电（摩擦起电）
Chinese (Traditional) All 中文 (台灣) Run now Balloons and Static Electricity_氣球和靜電引力
Croatian All hrvatski Run now Baloni i statički elektricitet
Czech All čeština Run now Balonek a statická elektřina
Danish All Dansk Run now Balloner og statisk elektricitet
Dutch All Nederlands Run now Ballonnen en statische elektriciteit
Estonian All Eesti Run now Õhupallid ja staatiline elekter
Finnish All suomi Run now Ilmapallot ja hankaussähkö
French All français Run now Ballons et Electricité statique
German All Deutsch Run now Ballons und statische Elektrizität
Greek All Ελληνικά Run now Μπαλόνια και στατικός ηλεκτρισμός
Hebrew All עברית Run now בלונים וחשמל סטטי
Hindi All हिंदी Run now गुब्बारा और स्थिर विद्युत् 
Hungarian All magyar Run now Léggömbök és a statikus elektromosság
Irish All Gaeilge Run now Balúin agus Leictreachas Statach
Italian All italiano Run now Elettricità statica
Japanese All 日本語 Run now 風船と静電気
Kannada All Kannada Run now ಬಲೂನ್ ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ಥಾಯಿ ವಿದ್ಯುತ್
Kazakh All Kazakh Run now Balloons and Static Electricity
Korean All 한국어 Run now 풍선과 정전기
Latvian All Latviešu Run now Baloni un statiskā elektrība
Malayalam All Malayalam Run now ബലൂണുകളും സ്ഥിതവൈദ്യുതിയും
Marathi All मराठी Run now फुगा आणि स्थिरविद्युत
Norwegian Bokmal All Norsk bokmål Run now Ballonger og statisk elektrisitet
Persian All فارسی Run now بادکنک و الکتریسته ی ساکن
Polish All polski Run now Balony i pole elektrostatyczne
Portuguese (Brazil) All português (Brasil) Run now Balões e Eletricidade Estática
Russian All русский Run now Воздушные шарики и статическое электричество
Serbian All Српски Run now Балони и статички електрицитет
Sinhalese All Sinhalese Run now බැලුන සහ ස්ථිති විද්‍යුතය
Slovak All Slovenčina Run now Balón a elektrostatika
Slovenian All Slovenščina Run now Statična elektrika pri balonu
Spanish All español Run now Globos y electricidad estática
Spanish (Mexico) All español (México) Run now Globos y electrostática
Spanish (Peru) All español (Perú) Run now Globos y Electricidad Estática
Spanish (Spain) All español (España) Run now Globos y electricidad estática
Swahili All Swahili Run now Umeme ya Tuli na
Swedish All svenska Run now Ballonger och statisk elektricitet
Tamil All Tamil Run now பலூன்களும் நிலையான மின்சாரமும்
Thai All ไทย Run now บอลลูนและไฟฟ้าสถิตย์
Tibetan All Tibetan Run now སྒང་ཕུག་དང་སོར་གནས་གློག
Turkish All Türkçe Run now Balon ve Durgun Elektrik
Ukrainian All українська Run now Кульки і статична електрика
Vietnamese All Tiếng Việt Run now Bong bóng và tĩnh điện

Software Requirements

Windows 7+ Mac OS 10.7+ iPad and iPad Mini with iOS Chromebook with Chrome OS
Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11, latest version of Firefox, latest version of Chrome.
Safari 9+, latest version of Firefox, latest version of Chrome.
Latest version of Safari
Latest version of Chrome

Credits

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Noah Podolefsky (lead)
  • Sam Reid (lead, developer)
  • Ariel Paul
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Patricia Loeblein
  • Sharon Siman-Tov
  • Wendy Adams (interviewer)
  • undefined
  • Mobile Learner Labs
English
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