Electrostatic Interactions

Investigation #3: Charging By Friction and Contact

Objective In this investigation, you will investigate two of the three methods of
transferring electric charge to an object.
Materials Transparent Tape
Electroscope
Acrylic Rod
Plastic Ruler
Paper Towel (Brown paper)
IMPORTANT: Do NOT rub any of the rods with the paper towel (or any
other material) until told to do so! Failure to follow this instruction may
result in your inability to complete this lab activity.

Video The video for this online version of the lab can be found at the
following location:
https://youtu.be/wviT5a_wpAM
The video should be started and stopped several times through this lab to
allow you to write down you observations as you go.

Activity 1 Charging By Friction

In a previous lab activity, you used an electroscope to explore how much
and what type of charge is transferred in a particular process. You will
again be using an electroscope in this activity.
 Take the paper towel, the acrylic rod, and the plastic ruler and hold
each near the charging plate of the electroscope to verify that each has
no excess charge.
 Prepare a U and L set of tapes as you did in Investigation #1. After
you separate the U and L tapes, hang them from a ring stand (with a
cross bar) so that each can swing like a pendulum.
 Rub the acrylic rod with the paper towel by using a tight grip and rubbing
vigorously (lightly rubbing will NOT work) and then bring the end of the
acrylic rod you rubbed close to each of the U and L tapes. Note what
happens.
 Now, rub the plastic ruler with the paper towel by again using a tight
grip and rubbing vigorously and then bring the rubbed end of the ruler
close to each of the U and L tapes. Again, note what happens.

Written by: John W. Griffith ©2012 Mesa Community College Page 10.3.1
Mesa, Arizona 85202
 Question 1.1 From your observations, do the acrylic rod and plastic ruler acquire the
same type of excess charge when rubbed with a paper towel? Explain.

No, acrylic rod and plastic ruler acquire different type of charge. As
observed from the experiment, acrylic rod attract one tap and repel
other plate but plastic ruler did entire different from the acrylic rod.

Question 1.2 Before you rubbed the acrylic rod with the paper towel, what was the total
excess charge on the paper towel and the rod?

By observing needle of electroscope, it is confirmed that before

rubbing, paper towel and rod have no total excess charge.

Question 1.3 Suppose that after rubbing, the acrylic rod acquires an excess positive
charge. What can you infer about the amount and type of excess charge
left on the paper towel? Explain.

Paper towel acquires negative charge with the same amount as

acrylic rod have positive charge to fulfill the law of conservation of
charge.

Question 1.4 What force acts between the paper towel and the rod while you are
rubbing them together?

There is an electrostatic force of attraction between the paper towel

and the rod while rubbing them together.
The process by which the rods and paper towel (and also the U and L
tapes) were charged is called charging by friction.
For the rest of this experiment, we will make the assumption that an
acrylic rod acquires an excess positive charge when it is rubbed with a
paper towel. We will also assume that a plastic ruler acquires an excess
negative charge when rubbed with a paper towel.

Activity 2 Charging By Contact n

e
Charge the acrylic rod by friction by rubbing it with the
e
paper towel. Bring the charged acrylic rod from above
d
the charging plate to a point near (but not touching) the
l
charging plate of the electroscope and then move it far
e
away from the charging plate. As you do so, be sure you
never bring the charged rod near to the electroscope’s
Needle
Fixed Plate
 or fixed plate. Move the rod back and forth from being Charging Plate
near the charging plate to being far from the charging
plate a few times and note what happens.

Question 2.1 The plate, needle, and fixed plate are all made of conducting materials.
Are they connected to each other? Can we treat these three parts as a
single conducting object?

They are connecting to each other and we can treat then as a

single conducting object.

Question 2.2 How much excess charge does the electroscope have?

Electrocope has no net excess charge as there is no deflection in

the needle of it.

Question 2.3 Below is a diagram showing the essential parts of the electroscope (the
charging plate, the fixed plate, and the needle) with the charged acrylic
rod near the charging plate. Complete the charge diagram of the
electroscope.
Acrylic Rod

Charging Plate

Needle
Fixed
Plate

Use the charge diagram that you drew to explain why the needle deflects
rather than remaining vertical.

When rod brought near the electroscop, due to polarization, needle

deflects.

STOP HERE AND CHECK YOUR ANSWER WITH THE VIDEO!

Prediction 2.1 (Did you follow the instruction above this box?) Suppose you were to
momentarily touch the rubbed part of the acrylic rod to the charging plate
of the electroscope. Would the electroscope acquire an excess charge? If
so, how would the type of excess charge on the electroscope compare to
the type of excess charge on the rod? If not, why not?

Yes, electroscope acquire excess charge and has same type of charge as
the rod. Because rod attract the different type of charge leaving same type
of charge on the electroscope.

Recharge the acrylic rod by rubbing it with the paper towel. Now slowly
wipe (a light tap will NOT work) the rubbed part of the acrylic rod firmly
against the charging plate of the electroscope and then move the acrylic
rod away from the electroscope. The needle should remain deflected
when you move the rod away.

Question 2.4  On the diagram at right, draw the

needle deflection to indicate the
deflection after the acrylic rod has
been wiped on the electroscope and
has been moved far away.
 Draw the charge diagram of the
electroscope. Let each + or – sign
represent one unit of charge.

Question 2.5 Will the net charge on the electroscope change if you recharge the acrylic
rod by rubbing it with a paper towel, then bring it back close to, but not
touching the electroscope?

No, there is no change in the net charge on the electroscope.

Question 2.6  Recharge the acrylic rod with the
paper towel, then bring it close to Acrylic Rod
the electroscope that you already
charged previously.
 On the diagram at right, indicate
how the needle deflection changes
when the acrylic rod is brought
near the charging plate. Show
whether the needle deflects more
or less than it did in question 2.4.
 Draw the charge diagram of the
electroscope and of the acrylic rod.
Question 2.7 Use the charge diagrams you drew in questions 2.4 and 2.6 to explain
why the deflection of the needle changes.

Before bring the rod near to the electroscope, electroscope has less
amount of charge. After bringing the rod close, the charge induced in
the electroscope increases due to polarization. Due to this, needle
deflect more.

At the end of the previous experiment in which you touched the acrylic
rod to the electroscope, the needle of the electroscope stayed deflected
even after the acrylic rod was moved far away. Repeat these steps if the
needle no longer remains in its deflected position.

Question 2.8 Copy the charge diagram that you drew

in question 2.4 that illustrates the
electroscope after it has been touched by
the acrylic rod.

Question 2.9  Charge the plastic ruler by rubbing

it with the paper towel. While
paying close attention to the Ruler

needle deflection, bring the ruler

near, but do not touch, the
charging plate.
 On the diagram at right, indicate
how the needle deflection changes
when the plastic ruler is brought
near the charging plate. Show
whether the needle deflects more
or less than it did in question 2.8.
 Draw the charge diagram of the
plastic ruler and electroscope.
Question 2.10 Use the charge diagrams you drew in questions 2.8 and 2.9 to explain
why the deflection of the needle changes.

Defore bring the ruler near to the electroscope, it has positive charge.
When ruler come close to the electroscope, it attract all positive
charge towards itself, due to which needle tends to position itself
vertically.

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE YOU HAVE THE CORRECT EXPLANATIONS

HERE CONTACT YOUR INSTRUCTOR BEFORE MOVING FORWARD!

Question 2.11 Suppose you are given a charged electroscope, but you are not told the
sign of the excess charge on the electroscope. What is the sign of the
excess charge on the electroscope if:
 the deflection of the needle gets bigger when a charged acrylic rod is
brought near?

Electroscope has same sign of charge as acrylic rod. If rod has positive
charge then electroscope also has positive charge.

 the deflection of the needle gets smaller when a charged acrylic rod is
brought near?

Electroscope has different sign of charge as acrylic rod. If rod has positive
charge then electroscope also has negative charge.
 In case the electroscope has lost most of its excess charge at this point,
rub the acrylic rod with the paper towel. Touch the rubbed part of the
rod to the charging plate of the electroscope and pay attention to the
needle deflection after you move the rod far from the charging plate.
 Touch the charging plate of the electroscope with your finger and
pay attention to what happens to the needle deflection after you touch
the plate.
Question 2.11 Was the electroscope charged before you touched it with your finger?
Was the electroscope charged after you touched it?

Electroscope is charged before touched with the finger as seen by

the deflecting needle. after touching the electroscope with the
finger, electroscope is not charged now and the needle gets its
vertical position back.

When you touch the charging plate with your finger, we say that you
ground the device in that there is a conducting path from you to the
ground (the earth). Ground is considered to be an infinite supply or sink
of electric charge. Grounding an isolated object returns the state of that
object to having no excess charge. In other words, grounding an isolated
object returns that object to being neutral.