======Electrostatic Floating Rings======


<WRAP right box>
**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
\\
**Categories:** {{$demo.categories}}
\\


**Alternative titles:** Floating Plastic Ring
</WRAP>

====Summary====                   
{{$demo.summary}}



====Procedure====  
  - Cut across a thin plastic bag a few centimeters (1–2 inches) below the opening to form a ring.  
  - Inflate a balloon and tie it securely.  
  - Rub the plastic ring with a cotton towel for about 30 seconds while holding it against a flat surface.  
  - Rub the balloon with the same towel for about 30 seconds to charge it.  
  - Hold the balloon in one hand and carefully place the plastic ring above it.  
  - Observe how the ring floats above the balloon due to static repulsion.  
  - If the ring or balloon touches something and discharges, recharge them by rubbing again and repeat.



====Links==== 
Electrostatic floating Rings - Homemade Science with Bruce Yeany: 
{{youtube>U6bKDaZiy_k?}}\\

Levitating Ring - Static Charge Experiment - Emily's Science Lab: 
{{youtube>xQ6obJQjZN4?}}\\

📄 Flying static ring - Experiment Archive: [[https://www.experimentarchive.com/experiments/flying-static-ring/]]\\


====Variations====
  * Try smaller or larger rings to see how size affects floating stability.  
  * Use balloons of different shapes (round or long) and compare the results.  
  * Replace the cotton towel with other fabrics such as wool, silk, or polyester to see which generates the strongest charge.  
  * Make a spider or octopus-shaped plastic piece and test how it floats.  
  * Create a paper ring instead of plastic and observe the difference in behavior.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Avoid performing the experiment near sensitive electronics, as static discharge may affect them.  
  * Do not overinflate the balloon to prevent it from popping.  
  * Keep scissors and small plastic pieces away from very young children.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why does the ring float above the balloon? (Both objects have the same negative charge after rubbing, causing them to repel each other.)  
  * What happens if the ring touches the balloon? (They discharge, losing their static charge, and the ring falls.)  
  * Why do the balloon and ring become negatively charged? (Electrons transfer from the cotton towel to the plastic during rubbing.)  
  * Why does the ring sometimes stick to your fingers? (Your neutral fingers become polarized—electrons in your skin move away, leaving a positive surface that attracts the negatively charged ring.)  
  * How can you make the ring float for longer? (Ensure the air is dry—humidity allows charge to leak away more quickly.)