Static Electricity for Kids

Study static electricity for kids, friction, electrolysis, and more.

When teaching static electricity for kids, there are so many fun ways to bring the concepts to life!

The Law of Change Conservation states that the net amount of electric charge is constant. That means electrons can only move from one place to another, but they don’t disappear. When one object gains electrons and becomes negatively charged, something else has lost electrons and becomes positively charged.

Static electricity is what shocks your fingers when you touch a cold door handle. It's also what makes your hair stand up during a pillow fight or when you rub a balloon against your head.

Lightning is an example of static electricity, too. And two results of static electricity are sparks and a crackling sound. You can observe this in a dark bathroom with a rubber or glass friction rod (a comb or a glass rod could also work) and a friction pad or piece of fur or wool.

With these products, kids can split water into hydrogen and oxygen gas using electrodes and electrolysis (the science behind renewable fuel cell technology). They can also experiment with static electricity equipment like electroscopes and friction rods. Many of these static electricity for kids products are ideal for science fair projects!

For more great project ideas, check out our Physics Science Projects.