Name: _____________________________ Period: _____ Date: __________________________
pHETs: Electricity
Balloons and Static Electricity
Go to: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/balloons
Click Run Now
Check “Show all Charges.” Uncheck everything else so nothing else is checked. Grab
the balloon and rub it on the sweater
1. _____________________ What overall charge does the balloon now have?
2. How did this happen?
3. _____________________ What overall charge does the sweater now have?
4. How did this happen?
5. _____________________ You charged the balloon by what process?
6. Describe what happens when you drag the balloon away from the sweater and let
it go? Explain why this happens.
Click Reset, Check Wall. Rub the balloon on the sweater again.
7. Describe what happens to the negative charges in the wall when you move the
balloon near it without touching.
8. Describe what happens to the positive charges in the wall when you move the
balloon near it without touching.
9. Why don’t all the positive charges move onto the balloon?
10. _____________________ You charged the wall by what process?
11. Hold the balloon in between the wall and sweater and release it. Why doesn’t the
balloon just stay in the middle?
12. Why doesn’t it move towards the wall?
13. Click reset. Click on two balloons, click off the wall. Move the two balloons away
from each other. What happens? Explain why.
14. Rub each balloon on the sweater once then let them go. Describe what happens
and explain why.
15. Now pull first one, then the other off the sweater and bring them close together.
Describe what happens and explain why.
Circuit Construction Kit (DC Only)
Go to: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/circuit-construction-kit-dc
Click Run Now. Grab the pieces you need to make each circuit below. When you are
done, list the kinds and amounts of materials used and draw the schematic.
Circuit:
Materials used:
Schematic
Light a single bulb
Make the single bulb
brighter
Make the single bulb go on
and off
Make 3 light bulbs light
brightly with all 3 with the
same brightness (same
current, measures the same
number of amps).
Have a switch that turns
on/off all 3 lights.
Have a switch that turns
on/off 2 of the 3.
Bonus: Make a circuit with
one main on/off switch that
will turn on/off 3 bulbs,
each with a different
brightness. Use the noncontact Ammeter to check
for different currents.
Bonus: Change the circuit
so 1 switch will turn on/off
all the lights and a second
switch will change the lights
from all being the same
brightness to all being
different brightnesses.
Electric Field Hockey
Go to: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/electric-hockey
Click Run Now. The object is to get the black positive puck to go in the goal.
Use the set up you see when it first runs.
21. How can you set up just one negative charge to score a goal?
22. How can you set up just one positive charge to score a goal?
Reset and change the mass and see what happens.
23. What happens when the mass is lighter?
24. Why does this happen (think about what you learned about force and mass in the
first half of the year)
Now play the game. You can practice a little bit if you want. Set difficulty to 1, then
2, then 3. When you beat each level, draw your set up below. Hint: leaving the field
box checked might help you
Level 1 set up:
Level 2 set up:
Level 3 set up: