Static Electricity

Lesson 1 - Basic Terminology & Concepts

•The Structure of Matter
•Neutral vs. Charged Objects
•Charge Interactions
•Conductors and Insulators
 Summary of Subatomic Particles
Proton Neutron Electron
In nucleus In nucleus Outside
Tightly Bound Tightly Bound nucleus
Positive No Charge Weakly Bound
Charge Massive Negative
Massive Charge
Not very
massive
FROM NEUTRAL TO IONS
 Electrical Charges

 Electric charge is a fundamental

property of matter.
 Two types of electric charges
 Positive charge - every proton has a single
positive charge.
 Negative charge - every electron has a single
negative charge.
 Electrical Charge

 An object with an excess of electrons is

negatively charged.
 An object with deficiency of electrons
(too many protons) is positively
charged.
 An object with the same number of
electrons and protons is neutral.
Charged versus Uncharged Particles
Positively Negatively Uncharged
Charged Charged
Possesses Possesses Equal
more more numbers of
protons than electrons protons and
electrons than protons electrons
 Elementary Charges

 Protons carry the smallest positive

charge.
 Protons and uncharged neutrons
generally reside in an atom’s nucleus.
 Protons are held in the nucleus by a
strong force.
 Elementary Charges

 The smallest negative charge is the

charge on the electron.
 In normal atoms, electrons orbit the
nucleus.
 The electric force between electrons
and protons supplies the centripetal force
to keep electrons in the atom.
 Elementary Charges

 The charges carried by the

proton and electron are equal
in size.
 The mass of the proton is about
2000 times the mass of the
electron.
 Electrostatics

 Electrostatics is the study

of electric charge at rest.
The Electric Force and
Newton's Third Law
 For every action, there is an equal and
opposite reaction.
Interaction Between Charged
and Neutral Objects
 Any charged object - whether positively
charged or negatively charged - will have
an attractive interaction with a neutral
object.
SOME DRILLS

 Identify the following particles as being

charged or uncharged. If charged,
indicate whether they are charged
positively or negatively. (n = neutron,
 p = proton, e = electron)
 Repulsion versus
Attraction
 When objects repel each
other, one can be certain
that both objects are
charged.

 On the other hand, one can

conclude that at least one of
the objects is charged.
 In each case, it is known that balloon B is
charged negatively. Based on these
observations, what can you conclusively
confirm about the charge on balloon A
and C for each situation.
 Jean Yuss is investigating the charge on
several objects and makes the following
findings.
Object C Object D Object E Object F
attracts B repels C attracts D attracts A
repels F

 Jean knows that object A is negatively

charged and object B is electrically
neutral. What can Jean Yuss definitively
conclude about the charge on objects C,
D, E, and F?
Conductors and Insulators
Conductors & Insulators

 Materials in which charges are free to

move about are called electrical
conductors.
 Materials in which charges are not
free to move about are called electrical
insulators.
 Conductors

 An object made of a conducting material

will permit charge to be transferred
across the entire surface of the object.
 Conductors
 Since conductors allow for electrons to
be transported from particle to particle, a
charged object will always distribute its
charge until the overall repulsive forces
between excess electrons is minimized.
 Insulators

 In contrast with conductors, if charge is

transferred to an insulator at a given
location, the excess charge will remain at
the initial location of charging.

 What now is the importance of insulators

in our daily life?
Examples of Conductors
and Insulators
 Examples of conductors include metals,
aqueous solutions of salts (i.e., ionic
compounds dissolved in water), graphite,
and the human body. Examples of
insulators include plastics, Styrofoam,
paper, rubber, glass and dry air.
 Semiconductors

 Semiconductors are materials which

are good insulators in pure form, but their
conducting properties can be adjusted
over a wide range by introducing very
small amounts of impurities.
 Silicon, germanium, etc.
 Transistors, computer chips, etc.
 Superconductors

 Superconductors are materials that

lose all resistance to charge movement
at temperatures near absolute zero (0 K
or about -273oC).
 Recently, “high temperature” (above 100
K) superconductors have been
discovered.
SOME DRILLS

 One of these isolated charged spheres is

copper and the other is rubber. The
diagram below depicts the distribution of
excess negative charge over the surface
of two spheres. Which is which and
support your answer with an explanation.
Inducing the Movement of
Charge
 In conducting objects, electrons that are
found in the electrons clouds are so
loosely bound that they may
be induced into moving from one portion
of the object to another portion of the
object.
Electron Movement within
a Conductor
 If the negatively charged balloon is
brought near the aluminum pop can, the
electrons within the pop can will
experience a repulsive force.
Electron Movement within
a Conductor
 The repulsion will be greatest for those
electrons that are nearest the negatively
charged balloon. Many of these electrons
will be induced into moving away from
the repulsive balloon.
Electron Movement within
a Conductor
 This electron movement leaves atoms on
the balloon's side of the can with a
shortage of electrons; they become
positively charged. And the atoms on the
side opposite of the can have an excess
of electrons; they become negatively
charged.
 Polarization

 The two sides of the

aluminum pop can have
opposite charges. Overall
the can is electrically neutral;
it's just that the positive and
negative charge has been
separated from each other.
We say that the charge in
the can has been polarized.
Polarization in Insulators

 In an insulator, electrons merely

redistribute themselves within the atom
or molecules nearest the outer surface of
the object.
Drills:

 Which of the diagrams below best

represents the charge distribution on a
metal sphere when a positively charged
plastic tube is placed nearby?
 The water molecule is "polarized." Which
diagram(s) below correctly portray(s) a pair
of H2O molecules? Explain.
TRUE OR FALSE:
 When an object becomes polarized, it
acquires a charge and becomes a
charged object.
 Charged rubber rods are placed near a
neutral conducting sphere, causing a
redistribution of charge on the spheres.
Which of the diagrams below depict the
proper distribution of charge on the
spheres? List all that apply.
Lesson 2 - Methods of Charging
•Charging by Friction
•Charging by Induction
•Charging by Conduction
•Grounding - the Removal of a Charge
 Charging by Friction

 Electron Affinity refers to the relative

amount of love that a material has for
electrons.
 If atoms of a material have a high
electron affinity, then that material will
have a relatively high love for electrons.
How Charging by Friction
Works?
 The frictional charging process results in
a transfer of electrons between the two
objects that are rubbed together.
 Suppose that a rubber balloon is rubbed
with a sample of animal fur.
How Charging by Friction
Works?
 Rubber has a much greater attraction for
electrons than animal fur. As a result, the
atoms of rubber pull electrons from the
atoms of animal fur, leaving both objects
with an imbalance of charge.
 In Conclusion:

 Having an excess of electrons, the

rubber balloon is charged negatively.
Similarly, the shortage of electrons on the
animal fur leaves it with a positive
charge.
 Triboelectric Series

 is a list that ranks

materials according to
their tendency to gain or
lose electrons.
 Materials shown highest
on the table tend to have
a greater affinity for
electrons than those
below it.
 Triboelectric Series

 Subsequently, when any

two materials in the table
are rubbed together, the
one that is higher can be
expected to pull electrons
from the material that is
lower.
The Law of Conservation
of Charge
 Prior to the charging, both objects are
electrically neutral. The net charge of
the system is 0 units. After the charging
process, the more electron-loving object
may acquire a charge of -12 units; the
other object acquires a charge of +12
units. Overall, the system of two objects
has a net charge of 0 units.
DRILL: During a physics lab, a plastic strip
was rubbed with cotton and became
positively charged. The correct
explanation for why the plastic strip
becomes positively charged is that ...
 a. the plastic strip acquired extra protons
from the cotton.
 b. the plastic strip acquired extra protons
during the charging process.
 c. protons were created as the result of
the charging process.
 d. the plastic strip lost electrons to the
cotton during the charging process.
 Saran Wrap has a larger electron affinity
than Nylon. If Nylon is rubbed against
Saran Wrap, which would end up with the
excess negative charge? ____________
Explain.
 Charging by Induction
 Being made of metal (a conductor),
electrons are free to move between the
spheres - from sphere A to sphere B and
vice versa.
 Charging by Induction
 Being charged negatively, the electrons
are repelled by the negatively charged
balloon. Subsequently, there is a mass
migration of electrons from sphere A to
sphere B.
 Charging by Induction
 Looking at the spheres individually, it
would be accurate to say that sphere A
has an overall positive charge and
sphere B has an overall negative charge.
 Applying the Law of
Conservation of Charge
 If sphere A has 1000 units of positive
charge, then sphere B has 1000 units of
negative charge.
 Determining the overall charge of the
system is easy arithmetic; it is simply the
sum of the charges on the individual
spheres.
Overall Charge of Two Spheres = +1000
units + (-1000 units) = 0 units
 Applying the Law of
Conservation of Charge
 Charge is neither created nor destroyed
during this charging process; it is simply
transferred from one object to the other
object in the form of electrons.
 Charging a Two-Sphere System
Using a Positively Charged Object
 The presence of the positive charge induces a
mass migration of electrons from sphere B
towards (and into) sphere A.
 Charging a Two-Sphere System
Using a Positively Charged Object
 This movement of electrons from sphere B to
sphere A leaves sphere B with an overall
positive charge and sphere A with an overall
negative charge. The two-sphere system has
been polarized.
The Importance of a Ground
in Induction Charging
 There will be a mass migration of
electrons from the left side of the sphere
to the right side of the sphere causing
charge within the sphere to become
polarized caused by the – charge object.
The Importance of a Ground
in Induction Charging
 The touching of the sphere allows electrons to
exit the sphere and move through the hand to
"the ground“. t is at this point that the sphere
acquires a charge.
The Importance of a Ground
in Induction Charging
 Looking at the right side of the sphere, excess
electrons not only find the balloon repulsive but
also the other excess electrons nearby.
The Importance of a Ground
in Induction Charging
 When the hand comes nearby, these negative
electrons see opportunity to find a vast body of a
human being into which they can subsequently
distance themselves even further from each other.
The Importance of a Ground
in Induction Charging
 Grounding

 Providing a path from a charged object to

the Earth is called grounding it.
 Charges will be attracted from (or
repelled to) the Earth by the charged
object.
 Since the Earth is so large, both the
charged object and the Earth are
neutralized.
 Two neutral conducting pop cans are
touching each other. A positively charged
balloon is brought near one of the cans
as shown below. The cans are separated
while the balloon is nearby, as shown.
After the balloon is removed the cans are
brought back together. When touching
again, can X is ____.
TRUE OR FALSE

 Two neutral conducting pop

cans are touching each other.
A negatively charged balloon is
brought near Can X as shown
below. As the balloon
approaches Can X, there is a
movement of electrons
between the balloon and can X
(in one direction or the other).
 A positively charged balloon is brought
near a neutral conducting sphere as
shown below. While the balloon is near,
the sphere is touched (grounded).

 At this point, there is a movement of

electrons. Electrons move ____ .
Charging by Conduction

 Charging by conduction involves the

contact of a charged object to a neutral
object.
 Example:
 A neutrally charged student touching a van
de graaff generator
Charging by Conduction

 In contrast to induction, where the

charged object is brought near but never
contacted to the object being charged,
conduction charging involves making the
physical connection of the charged object
to the neutral object.
Charging by Conduction Using a
Negatively Charged Object
 Once the contact of the sphere to the
electroscope is made, a countless number of
excess electrons from the sphere move onto
the electroscope and spread about the sphere-
electroscope system.
Charging by Conduction
Using a Negatively
Charged Object
 When charging by conduction is done,
the electroscope will have an excess
negative charge. The metal sphere is still
charged negatively, only it has less
excess negative charge than it had prior
to the conduction charging process.
Charging by Conduction Using a
Positively Charged Object
 When the positively charged aluminum plate is
touched to the neutral metal sphere, countless
electrons on the metal sphere migrate towards
the aluminum plate.
Charging by Conduction Using a
Positively Charged Object
 There is a mass migration of electrons until the
positive charge on the aluminum plate-metal
sphere system becomes redistributed.
Charging by Conduction Using a
Positively Charged Object
 The aluminum plate is still charged positively;
only it now has less excess positive charge
than it had before the charging process began.
 A neutral metal sphere is touched by a
negatively charged metal rod. As a result,
the sphere will be ____ and the metal rod
will be ____. Select the two answers in
their respective order.

 a. positively charged
 b. negatively charged
 c. neutral
 d. much more massive
 e. ... not enough information to tell
 A neutral metal sphere is touched by a
negatively charged metal rod. During the
process, electrons are transferred from
the _____ to the _____ and the sphere
acquires a _____ charge.

 a. neutral sphere, charged rod, negative

 b. neutral sphere, charged rod, positive
 c. charged rod, neutral sphere, negative
 d. charged rod, neutral sphere, positive
 e. ... nonsense! None of these describe
what occurs.
 A neutral metal sphere is touched by a
positively charged metal rod. During the
process, protons are transferred from the
_____ to the _____ and the sphere
acquires a _____ charge.

 a. charged rod, neutral sphere, negative

 b. charged rod, neutral sphere, positive
 c. neutral sphere, charged rod, negative
 d. neutral sphere, charged rod, positive
 e. ... nonsense! None of these describe
what occurs.
 Electrical Charge

Symbol : q or Q
Classification:
scalar quantity
 Units of Charge

 The SI unit of charge is the

Coulomb.

1 Coulomb = the charge of

6.24 x 1018 electrons
 Charge is Conserved
 Electric charge is conserved -
 Electric charge moves from one
place to another - no case of the net
creation or destruction of electric
charge has ever been observed.
 In solids, only electrons can move.
 In liquids, gasses, and plasmas, both
positive and negative ions are free to move.