What is static electricity? Let’s find out! First, have you ever rubbed a balloon on your head?

If you have, you may wonder why your hair stood up on end!

When you rub a balloon on your head, electrons (which have a negative charge) move from the atoms and molecules in your hair onto the balloon. Hence, the balloon becomes negatively charged, and your hair is left with a positive charge. This “separation of charge” is the reason for the collection of effects that we call static electricity.

If two objects have different charges, they attract (or pull towards) each other. And that’s why our hair stand up on end if we rub a balloon on our head!