The words electric and electricity came from the ancient Greek word for amber, ἤλεκτρον (ēlektron). Thousands of years ago, ancient Greeks noticed that amber attracted small objects when rubbed with fur. Amber is expensive and rare, however balloons also attract small objects when rubbed with fur, your hair. Rediscover what the Greeks saw long ago. Cut small pieces of paper onto a table. Rub a balloon against your fur, hair. The pieces of paper are attracted to the balloon. The negative charge of the balloon attracts the positive charge of the paper, almost like magnets. Today, we know that everything is made of atoms and atoms contain both negative electrons and positive protons. When electrons are rubbed off the hair onto the balloon it give the balloon a negative charge. The balloon attracts the more positive paper toward the balloon. The balloon is said to have an electrical negative charge. It is important to know that electricity has a positive and negative charge, like the ends of a battery are positive and negative.