Question

Why does a charged balloon stick to a wall?

Answer 1

Hint: We are asked to give the reason why a charged balloon sticks to a wall. For this, understand what happens when two unlike charges are brought close to each other and what the force between them is. Here, it is not mentioned whether the balloon is positively charged or negatively charged, so check for both positively charged and negatively charged balloons.

Complete answer:
Given to find the reason why a charged balloon sticks to a wall.The charged balloon sticks to a wall due to electrostatic force between the charged balloon and the wall.First let us know what electrostatic force is. Electrostatic force is the force between two charged objects. Electrostatic force can be attractive or repulsive.

Here, the balloon is charged, if the balloon is positively charged then when the balloon is brought near the wall, it repels the positive charges in the part close to the balloon and negative charges get accumulated in that part. Now, this part of the wall has negative charge and the balloon is positively charged, so there is an attractive electrostatic force between the wall and the balloon due to which the balloon sticks to the wall.

Similarly, if the balloon is negatively charged then when the balloon is brought near the wall, it repels the negative charges in the part close to the balloon and positive charges get accumulated in that part and then there is an attractive electrostatic force between negatively charged balloon and positively charged part of the wall.

Therefore, due to electrostatic attraction force when a charged balloon is brought close to a wall, it sticks to the wall.

Note: Remember when two unlike charges are brought close to each other then there is attractive electrostatic force and when two like charges are brought close to each other then there is repulsive electrostatic force. This electrostatic force between two charges is also known as Coulomb force and is given by Coulomb’s law.