​Attraction and Repulsion

Electrically charged objects can attract an uncharged object, without any contact between the objects. Evidence for this was in the video you just watched. In that video, Mr. Ted was able to move a wooden match without touching it.​

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One match was balanced on a coin. Another match was hanging from a string inside a glass container. The matches were uncharged: they had no electrical charge. Mr. Ted used a PVC (plastic) pipe to move the match. To charge the pipe, Mr. Ted rubbed the pipe in one direction with a wool glove. This produces an electrical charge.​

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he PVC pipe became electrically charge, and was able to cause motion in the uncharged wooden match. This evidence supports the claim that electrically charged objects can attract (pull) an uncharged object without any contact between the objects.

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​This illustration demonstrates the attraction between objects with the same charge. The positive + charge of the wall attracts (pulls) the opposite negative ‐ charge of the balloon on the left. The balloon on the left also has a positive charge, which repels (pushes) the positive charge of the balloon the right. This is easy to remember: opposites attract, so likes repel.