Static

Electricity
• Did you ever walk across a carpet,
touch something and get a shock?
That shock was caused by static
electricity. The science of static
electricity is called electrostatics.
• Matter that has charged atoms has
static electricity. The word ‘static’ means
not moving. Static electricity means
electrons are not moving along a path
or not flowing.
• Rather electrons are supplied from one
atom and moved onto another atom
resulting in a build-up of charge.
Subatomic Location in
Charge
Particles atom
proton
positive (+) nucleus

neutron
no charge (0) nucleus

electron
orbiting the
negative (-)
nucleus
If an object has more
electrons than protons,
it is negatively charged.
# protons: 8
# electrons: 12

# protons < # electrons

therefore, overall charge = negative
if an object has more
protons than electrons,
it is positively charged

# protons: 8
# electrons: 5

# protons > # electrons

therefore, overall charge = positive
If an object has an equal
number of protons and
electrons, the object is neutral
# protons: 8
# electrons: 8

# protons = # electrons
therefore, overall charge = neutral
 —
+
Law of attraction: opposite charges attract
 + +
— —

Law of repulsion: like charges repel

 + 0
— 0
A charged object and a neutral object
will attract each other
A. Charging by Friction (rubbing)
• Rubbing removes lightly held electrons from
atoms, transferring them from one object to
another.
• Protons cannot be removed by rubbing.
• When materials with different atoms are
rubbed together, electrons will move from the
material with a weak hold on electrons to
materials that have a strong hold on
electrons.
• Materials with a weak hold will lose electrons
becoming positively charged.
• In general, charging by friction starts with two
neutral (uncharged) materials and can only
work if the two materials have different hold
on electrons.
Electrostatic Series

• The electrostatic series lists materials in order

of their tendency to gain electrons.
• Materials with a weak hold on electrons are
listed at the top of our electrostatic series.
• Materials with a strong hold are listed at the
bottom of our electrostatic series.
• This list is used to determine the kind of
charge produced on each material when
rubbed together.
• Materials higher on the list will lose electrons
becoming positively charged.
• Materials lower on the list will gain electrons
becoming negatively charged.
• The farther away two objects are on the
series, the larger the transfer of charges.
• Electrons can be transferred from one
object to another.
• For example, a neutral or positively
charged object will become negatively
charged if it gains electrons.
• Similarly, a neutral or negatively
charged object will become positively
charged if it loses electrons.
Only electrons (negative
charges) are capable of
moving from one object to
another!

Protons (positive charges)

stay in place.
A. Insulators
• Insulators which are materials that hold
onto their electrons and do not allow
them to move freely between atoms.
• If an insulator becomes charged, the
excess charges remain on the surface
B. Conductors
• Conduction is the movement of
electrons through a substance.
Conductors are materials that allow
electrons to move easily between
atoms.
• Different substances have different
abilities to hold on to electrons
• the tendency of a substance to
hold on to the electrons is called
electron affinity
 tendency to
lose electrons
+ human skin
rabit fur
acetate
glass
human hair
nylon
wool
cat fur
silk
paper
cotton
wood
amber
rubber balloon
tendency to vinyl
gain electrons - polyester
ebonite
• Conductivity is the ability of materials to
allow electrons to move freely
• Materials that hold on to their electrons
and do not allow them to move easily are
called electrical insulators
• Materials that allow electrons to change
positions are called conductors
 + —
— +
+ —

— —
+ —
+ + + —

In an insulator, the electrons (-) are bound tightly

to the nuclei (+) so they resist movement
 —

—
+ +
—
+ —
—

+ +
— — + +
In a conductor, the electrons are not as tightly bound to
the nuclei and can therefore move away from the nuclei
• The electric charge that builds up on
the surface of an object is called a
static charge
• The charges are “static” because they
remain in one location on the surface
of the object until they are given a
path to escape
• All solid materials are charged by the
transfer of electrons
• When two objects rub together, the
force of friction can remove electrons
from one object and transfer them to the
other object
• As one object loses electrons, the other
object gains them
• New electrons are not being created,
they are just being rearranged
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