Electrostatics

I. Definition:

The word electrostatics comes from the Greek word “elektron" which means amber. The
Greeks found that when an amber rock was rubbed, it was capable of picking up small particles
or fibers. The word static, of course, means at rest.

II. Charges:

A positive charge means that the object has lost electrons and is no longer electrically
neutral. Each electron lost gives the particle a charge of +1.6 x 10-19 coulombs. Positive, or
vitreous, charges are classically created by rubbing a glass rod with silk. The rod becomes
positive (loses electrons); the silk become negative (gains electrons). Since electric charge is
conserved, the system (glass rod and silk) maintains a net charge of 0.

A negative charge means that the object has gained electrons. Each electron gained gives the
particle a charge of -1.6 x 10-19 coulombs. Negative, or resinous, charges are classically
created by rubbing a rubber rod with fur. The rod becomes negatively charged; the fur
positively charged. By definition, negatively charged objects have more mass than an identical
neutral object since each extra electron has a mass of 9.11 x 10-31 kg.

In mechanics our basic property of matter was MASS.

In electricity, our basic property is CHARGE.

Who named the two kinds of charge? ___ ___________ (Famous American Scientist)

He thought that the positive charges were moving (the structure of the atom wasn’t really
know yet), and designated the direction of the current to be with the flowing positive
charges. Today, we know that current is flowing negative charges (e-). BUT, by convention, we
still call the positive direction of current as with the flow of positive charges, so in reality,
what the direction we designate as current is actually the opposite of how the charges are
flowing. More on this in the next unit – Electricity.

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Summary of Electromagnetic Charges

1. What are some examples of static charge?

2. Why do these examples occur?

3. What does ‘static’ mean?

4. What does an atom look like?

5. All matter is made of atoms which are composed of negatively charged electrons (e-)
whirling around a nucleus of positively charged protons and neutrons. What is the only
atom that has no neutron?

6. In mechanics the basic property was mass. In electricity, the basic property is
_________________.

7. How do charges behave?

Like charges…

Opposite charges…

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III. Models: Electroscope

Electrification by friction occurs when two surfaces are rubbed together. Examples of this were
discussed above when a positive charge was created by rubbing glass with silk and a negative charge
was created by rubbing rubber with fur. The following list details a larger portion of the triboelectric
sequence. When any two substances shown in this list are rubbed together, the top one will become
positively charged while the lower one will become negativ ely charged. The further apart the two
substances are in the list, the greater the electrification.

Asbestos
+ Fur (rabbit)
Glass
Mica
Wool
Quartz
Fur (cat)
Lead
Silk
Human skin,
Aluminum
Cotton
Wood
Amber
Copper, Brass
Rubber
Sulfur
Celluloid
India rubber
-

Charging by conduction means that the charging rod actually touches the electroscope’s knob. Since
there is contact, electrons from the knob would flow onto a positive rod or off of a negative rod.
Charging by conduction leaves the electroscope with a residual charge IDENTICAL to that of the
charging rod.

Charging by induction means that the charging rod is brought close to the electroscope’s knob but
NEVER touches it. If the electroscope is not grounded, it will remain neutral but be temporarily
polarized while the charging rod is in the immediate vicinity. That is, a positive rod will induce the
electrons in the scope to migrate to the knob. This redistribution of charge will result in the leaves of

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the scope being positively charged.
http://online.cctt.org/physicslab/content/phyapb/lessonnotes/electrostatics/lessonelectrostatics.as
p

IV. The Atom

All matter is made of atoms. These atoms are composed of negatively charges
electrons (e-) that revolve around a positively charged nucleus (p + and no).

Why don’t protons pull electrons into the nucleus?

Why don’t protons repel each other in the nucleus?

Electrons and protons have equal but opposite charges. Normal atoms have exactly
enough electrons to balance the protons in the nucleus, leaving the atom with a net
charge that is neutral.

Under certain circumstances electrons may be removed from an atom. When this
happens the atom becomes positively charged. A positively charged ION is the
result. A charged atom is called an ion.

V. Materials

1. Conductors – electric charges move easily through this material, most

commonly a metal.
a. Reason – Metal have valence electrons (e- that are less tightly bound
to the atom). Therefore they are more likely to be “stolen” by other
atoms.

2. Insulators – electric charges are not easily transferred or moved.

a. Reason – Insulators don’t have these free electrons (e - that are less
tightly bound to the atom). Therefore they are not likely to be
“stolen” by other atoms.

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VI. How are charges accumulated on an object? (Use the three models)

1. Friction – As two objects are rubbed against each other, e - ’s are scraped
off one object and deposited on the other.

Examples:
Balloon –
Rods –

Rub glass with a plastic transparency and e- ‘s leave the glass.

What is the net charge on the glass rod?

Rub a plastic ruler with fur and e- ‘s collect on the plastic.

What is the net charge on the ruler?

Other Examples:

When an object is positively charged, it has an excess of p + ’s. It has billions

of charged particles overall, but an excess of one type, if it is charged.

2. Contact - Electrons can flow from one material to another when they are in
contact (touching). The object you touch obtains the SAME CHARGE as the
object with which it was in contact.

Examples:
Rods and pith balls. Once they touch, they transfer the charge. Draw it.

3. Induction –A neutral object can become charged just by holding it close to a

charged object.

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 Examples:
1. Electroscope:
2. Gold Leaf electroscope:
3. Charging Spheres:
4. Pith balls and charge induction by grounding:
5. Balloon and paper:

Pie Tin demonstration:

When you get SHOCKED, the excess charges are DISCHARGING. That means
electrons are leaving the object through the air between you and the other object.

Allowing charges to move on or off of a conductor by touching it is called

GROUNDING.
How can neutral objects become charged?

When the object is near a charged surface, the atoms rearrange themselves so the
charges line up in one particular direction. This is called polarization. The object is
then said to be POLARIZED. Charges are induced temporarily by aligning p+’s on
one side and e-‘s on the other.

Suppose the positive rod is brought near to an insulator (as shown in the diagram
above), for example, a piece of paper or a section of a wall. Since electrons are not
free to move within an insulator, another process takes place which still results in
the paper or wall becoming polarized. The particles in the insulator realign
themselves - presenting an oppositely charged layer towards the charged rod. This
process is illustrated below.

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 positively charged rod

top surface "-"

polarized molecules
within the insulator

bottom surface "+"

Electrostatic Charging

1. Do plastic/rubber objects pick up or give up electrons?

2. How then do plastic/rubber objects get charged?

(positive or negative)

3. Does hair pick up or give up electrons?

4. How then does hair get charged?

(positive or negative)

5. What does GROUNDING mean?

Rules of electrostatics
1. Opposite charges attract, likes repel.
2. Conservation of charge: charge cannot be created or destroyed.
3. The electrons are the ones doing the moving.

WATER
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1. Does water detect charge?

How can you tell?

2. Why is static electricity more “active” during dry weather?

When the air is humid, the water molecules discharge the electrostatic charges so
they don’t stay on the object as long as if the air were dry. That’s why these
demos work best this time of year.

Another important factor in electrostatics is humidity. If it is very humid, the

charge imbalance will not remain for a useful amount of time. Remember that
humidity is the measure of moisture in the air. If the humidity is high, the
moisture coats the surface of the material, providing a low-resistance path for
electron flow. This path allows the charges to "recombine" and thus neutralize
(discharge) the charge imbalance. Likewise, if it is very dry, a charge can build up
to extraordinary levels, up to tens of thousands of volts!

Think about the shock you get on a dry winter day. Depending on the type of sole
your shoes have and the material of the floor you walk on, you can build up enough
voltage to cause the charge to jump to the door knob, thus leaving you neutral.