How To Make Pepper Jump

The aim of this experiment is to demonstrate static electricity in action.

Rub a balloon on your head or jumper or on the carpet.
Place some pepper on a plate.
Lower the balloon towards the plate of pepper and watch the flecks of pepper jump up onto the balloon!

Why did this happen? We demonstrated static electricity. When the balloon was rubbed against the hair, it picked up a few extra electrons. These are small negatively charged particles that form part of an atom. Since the balloon was made of rubber which doesn't conduct electricity, the electrons sat on the surface of the balloon, or remained static. This gave the balloon a negative charge. Pepper has a neutral charge meaning it contains both positive and negative particles. The positive particles in the pepper were attracted to the negatively charged balloon, causing the pepper to jump up and cling to the balloon. A weak electrical force holds the particles in place and makes them stick to the balloon.