Bossy balloon
Two statically charged objects, both influencing each other. This experiment will make it seem like you can do magic!
A pair of scissors
A small plastic bag; a sandwich bag, for example
A balloon
Get started
What did you discover?
By rubbing the balloon and the plastic shape on your hair, or on a woolly jumper, they both become statically charged. You can make the plastic shape float by holding the statically charged balloon underneath it. The balloon then repels the plastic, creating an upward force.
But at the same time, gravity is trying to pull down the plastic shape. And because these two forces are opposed, the piece of plastic remains afloat in mid-air.