Move the balloon
toward the stream
of water and watch
it magically bend!
Everything is made of tiny
particles, and most of these
particles have something
called an “electric charge.”
There are two types of charges—positive
and negative. Positive particles are
attracted to negative particles. To start
with, positive and negative particles in
the balloon are perfectly balanced. But
when you rub the balloon against your
hair, some negatively charged particles
called electrons transfer from your hair
onto the balloon. Water molecules,
groups of tiny particles, are positive
at one end and negative at the other.
The positive ends are attracted to the
extra negative particles in the balloon,
causing the stream of water to curve.
4
RUBBING YOUR
SHOES ON A
CARPET WILL
CHARGE UP
YOUR BODY
JUST LIKE THE
BALLOON!
WATER MOLECULES
Negatively
charged
electrons
Positive end
Negative
end
BALLOON
SCIENCE
PART...
THE
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US_082-083_Bending_water.indd 83 12/09/2018 15:50