Static Electricity Butterfly

Instructions

Make Your Butterfly

1. Cut a large, light butterfly shape from tissue paper and decorate it.
2. Cut a small cardstock body (2–3 inches), glue or tape it along the center of the wings.
3. Tape only the tip of the body to the table so the wings hang freely over the edge.

Make It Fly

1. Inflate the balloon, then rub it on hair or wool for 10–15 seconds to build static.
2. Hold the charged balloon 1–2 inches from the wings (no touching) and watch them lift and flutter.
3. Move the balloon slowly to make the wings follow; recharge with a quick rub if the effect weakens.

Tips for Success

• Tissue paper works best - it's very light and responsive
• Keep the balloon close but not touching
• Dry conditions help - static electricity works better when it's not humid
• Larger wings = more movement - bigger surface area catches more charge
• Try multiple butterflies - create a whole garden and make them all flutter at once!

What's Happening?

Static Electricity:
Just like the rolling can race, this experiment uses static electricity created by rubbing the balloon on your hair or wool.

Why the Wings Move: Rubbing moves electrons onto the balloon, leaving it negatively charged. Bringing that charged balloon near the thin paper wings pushes electrons away from the closest side, leaving a slight positive charge that the balloon pulls on. Because the wings are so light, that electrostatic tug can lift and flutter them without touching.

Why Thin Paper?
The wings need to be very light because:
- The electric force is quite weak (compared to gravity or your muscles)
- Tissue paper is light enough that the static charge can overcome gravity and lift it
- Thicker paper is too heavy for the static force to move

Advanced Experiments

1. Different wing materials:
2. Try tissue paper, newspaper, tracing paper
3. Which works best?

4. Why might that be?

5. Wing shapes:

6. Make different shapes (hearts, leaves, feathers)

7. Do larger or smaller shapes work better?

8. Multiple butterflies:

9. Create several and attach them to the table edge
10. Can you make them all flutter at once?

11. Try a butterfly mobile hanging from string

12. Other charged objects:

13. Try a plastic comb rubbed on your hair
14. Try different charged materials from the triboelectric series

The Science of Flying

Real butterflies flap their wings using muscles, creating air currents that lift them. Your static butterfly "flies" using a completely different force - the electromagnetic force (one of the four fundamental forces in the universe!). This shows how the same result (movement) can happen through completely different mechanisms.

Create a Butterfly Garden

Make multiple butterflies and tape them at different heights on the wall. Use your charged balloon to make them all flutter at once - it's like bringing a paper garden to life with invisible electricity!