Play the Phet simulation found at https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/balloo
ID: 2031110 • Letter: P
Question
Play the Phet simulation found at https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/balloons-and-static-electricity Take the balloon and make it stick to the wall. Describe what you did to make it stick to the wall and describe how you think it happens [Give an honest answer]. Then after doing so, move the balloon to 3 different distances between the sweater and the wall: (i) 1 4 , (ii) 1 2 , and (iii) 3 4 . Explain what happens to the balloon when you ’let it go’. Does this match what you expected to happen upon ’letting it go’? After answering, play with the settings
link: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/balloons-and-static-electricity/latest/balloons-and-static-electricity_en.html
Explanation / Answer
to make the baloon stick to the wall, it has to be first brought in contact with the sweater.
this can be equated to rubbing of baloon to one's sweater where the baloon acquires -ve charge
now, this baloon when bought close to the wall brings charge redistribution in the wall, causing the baloon to experience a net force in the direciton of the wall and hence it stick to the wall
now, when it is kept at 4 locations equally spaced between the wall and the sweater, the baloon is attracted to the wall at the location closest to the wall, and is attracted to the sweater for the rest of the three locations. this happens, as the sweater has a net charge, so it has more force on the baloon's net charge as compared t the wall which has net neutrality, but due to charge redistribution is applying a force onthe baloon
hence
the motion of the baloon follows the expectations