Physics for Engineers Engr. Lara Jane D.

Mendoza
Instructor
Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges

Module 5 – Electrostatics
What do you think electrostatics means?

Electrostatics
•Electro- electricity/charged particles
•Static-stationary/ not moving
•Electrostatics- the study of stationary charges
What is Static Electricity?

Static electricity occurs when there is a

build up of electric charge on the surface of
a material.
It is called static electricity because the
charges don’t move.
The electricity we use everyday involves
moving charges.
What is Charge?

To understand charge we have to look at things on an extremely small scale.

We have to try and understand things that we can’t even see with the most
powerful microscope.

Atoms!
Atoms

Everything we see around us everyday is

made of atoms.
We can’t see individual atoms because they
are so small.
In fact the diameter of an atom is about
0.0000000001 m. We can imagine each as a
tiny ball.
In the air in your room there are about
1500000000000000000000000000 atoms.
Components of an Atom
Components of an Atom

Location in the
Particle Charge (C) Mass (kg)
Atom
Electron (𝒆− ) −1.6 𝑥 10−19 9.11 𝑥 10−31 outside nucleus
Neutron (𝒏𝟎 ) 0 1.67 𝑥 10−27 nucleus
Proton (𝒑+ ) +1.6 𝑥 10−19 1.67 𝑥 10−27 nucleus
Electric Charge

 Most things have the same number of electrons and protons in them.
 They don’t have any overall charge.
 If this isn’t true interesting things can happen.
Electric Charge

Properties of charge

 Like charges repel, and unlike charges

attract.
 Charge is conserved, meaning it cannot
be created or destroyed, only
transferred from one location to
another.

 In all atoms, electrons (qe) have negative

charge and protons (qp) have positive
charge.

 Without this attraction, electrons would

not be held in atoms.
Law of Electric Charge
The Coulomb

The basic unit of charge is the Coulomb.

You MUST be in Coulombs when you plug into a formula.

𝟏 𝑪 = 𝟔. 𝟐𝟓 𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟖 𝒆 (elementary charges)

𝟏 𝒆 = 𝟏. 𝟔 𝒙 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟗 𝑪
Common electrostatic charges are small:
𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑏 = 𝑚𝐶 = 𝟏𝟎−𝟑
−𝟑
𝑪
𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑏 = 𝜇𝐶 = 𝟏𝟎−𝟗 𝑪
𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑏 = 𝑛𝐶 = 𝟏𝟎 𝑪
CHARLES COULOMB
(1736-1806)
Electric Force

 The force between the charged objects

is an electric force.

 The size of the electric force depends

on two things:
1. The amount of charge (the greater the
charge, the greater the force)
2. The distance between charges (the
farther the distance, the less the force)
Electric Field

An electric field is the region around a charged object where electric forces can
be exerted on another charged object.
Charged Objects

Atoms do not have a charge because the number of electrons and protons cancel
each other out.

How do objects get charged?

They either gain or lose electrons.
How Can You Charge Objects?

There are three ways objects can be charged:

In each of these, only the electrons move. The protons stay in the nucleus.
Charged by Friction

When insulators are rubbed together, one gives

up electrons and becomes positively charged,
while the other gains electrons and becomes
negatively charged.

Materials have different affinities for electrons. A

triboelectric series rates this relative affinity.

A material will give up electrons to another

material below it on a triboelectric series.
Charged by Friction

Common examples of charging by friction:

• small shocks from a doorknob after

walking on carpet with rubber-soled shoes
• plastic foodwrap that sticks to a container

• sweater pulled over your head that sparks

• laundry from the dryer that clings

Rod becomes + (loses electrons)
• balloon rubbed with hair sticks that to a Silk becomes – (gains electrons)
wall
Insulators and Conductors
Insulators Conductors

When charge is placed on an When charge is placed on a conductor,

insulator, it stays in one region and it redistributes to the outer surface.
does not distribute.
Metals (copper, gold, and aluminum)
Wood, plastic, glass, air, and cloth
are good conductors.
are good insulators.

CHARGED INSULATOR CHARGED CONDUCTOR

Charging by Conduction
When a charged conductor makes contact with a neutral conductor there is a
transfer of charge.
CHARGING NEGATIVELY CHARGING POSITIVELY

Electrons are transferred from Electrons are transferred from

the rod to the ball, leaving them the ball to the rod, leaving
both negatively charged. them both positively charged.

Remember, only electrons are free to move in solids.

Polarization

Polarization is the separation of charge.

In a conductor, “free” electrons can

move around the surface of the
material, leaving one side positive and
the other side negative.

In an insulator, the electrons “realign”

themselves within the atom (or
molecule), leaving one side of the
atom positive and the other side of
the atom negative.

Polarization is not necessarily a charge imbalance!