Electrostatics of Balloons

The simulation demonstrates the basic principles of static electricity. Rubbing a balloon with a woollen cloth transfers electrons, giving the balloon a negative charge. Like charges repel each other, while opposite charges attract, illustrating the fundamental rule that unlike charges attract and like charges repel.

In the virtual lab two balloons are suspended from threads. Students can use on‑screen controls to rub each balloon with the cloth and then drag the charged cloth toward a balloon. Force arrows appear to show the direction and relative magnitude of the electrostatic forces as the objects move.

By observing the motion and force indicators, learners see how charge transfer creates attraction and repulsion, reinforcing qualitative ideas behind Coulomb’s law and the role of electron exchange in everyday electrostatic phenomena.