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Coulomb's Law Lab

Calculate the static charge on a balloon.

meter stick, protractor, string, balance and two balloons

1. Two nonconducting balloons of identical mass and identical charge hang from a nonconducting thread of length L as shown to the right.

2. Draw the FBD for each of the balloons and the diagrams below.

3. Write the summation of forces for the horizontal and vertical forces acting on either balloon.

4. Combine the summation of forces above and solve for the charge, q.

5. Record your derived equation.

Tie each end of a 2-meter piece of string to two inflated balloons.
Place a charge on each balloon by rubbing it against your hair or shirt.
Support the balloon-string system at the midpoint of the string.
Allow the systems to come to equilibrium and record the necessary measurements below.

1. Using your working equation, calculate the charge on each balloon.

2. Calculate the number of excess electrons on the balloon.

3. Calculate how much additional mass the excess electrons add to the balloon.

David Carroll - Plano West

www.GravityKills.net

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