Conservation of electricity

1. Electrical appliances and light bulbs should be switched off when not needed.
2. Efficient and low electricity consuming devices should be used. Use more LED
light or CFL bulbs.
3. Building should be constructed in such a way that they let in a lot of natural
light and one does not need to switch on lights during daytime.
4. Buildings should be constructed with materials that give good insulation so that
electricity consumption is minimum during winter and summer.
5. Use more of renewable source of energy such as solar panel and windmills
where ever possible, to reduce the use of non-renewable sources of energy
such as coal and petroleum.
 Static Electricity

Q. Define static electricity.

Static electricity is the concentration of
electric charges (negative or positive) due
to the imbalance of charges in an object.

Q. When comb rubbed against your hair and

brought near paper bits, they get attracted . Give
reason.
This happens because when the comb is rubbed
against your hair ,it acquires an electric charge
(negative) .As a result, a force is produced with
which it attracts the bits of paper. This force is
called electrostatics force and forms the basis of
static electricity.
Electrostatics
Q. Define electrostatics.
The branch of physics that deals with the study of static electricity,
which involves electric charges, the force between them, and their
behaviour, is called electrostatics.
Q. State the law of electrostatic attraction and repulsion.
Like charges repel each other and unlike charges attract each other.
This is the law of electrostatics attraction and repulsion.
Law of electrostatic attraction and repulsion
Law of conservation of charge
Q. State the law of conservation of
charge.
The law of conservation of charge states
that electric charge can neither be
created nor destroyed.
In a closed system, the amount of
charge remains the same. The charges
can only be transferred from one object
to the other.
 Charging an object
1. When an object is charged ,it is only the electrons that can move in
or out of an atom, thus leaving the object negatively or positively
charged.
2. The protons are tightly bound in the nucleus and hence they cannot
leave an atom.
3. An atom can be charged by the following methods
a. By conduction method
b. By friction method
c. By induction method
Charging by friction
Q. What is meant by charging by friction?
The process of charging an uncharged object by rubbing it against some
other suitable material is called charging by friction.
This method is mainly used for insulators.
EX: 1. Rubbing a glass rod with silk cloth.
2. Rubbing an ebonite rod with wool.
Charging by friction

Glass rod Silk cloth

Rubbing a glass rod with silk
Q. Explain what happens when the glass rod is rubbed with silk cloth?
1. When the glass rod is rubbed with the silk cloth, electrons flow
from the glass rod to the silk cloth.
2. Due to the loss of electrons ,the glass rod acquires positive charges.
3. Due to the excess gain of electrons ,the silk cloth acquires negative
charge.
4. Since they acquire opposite charges they attract each other.
Rubbing an ebonite rod with wool
Q. Explain what happens an ebonite rod is rubbed with wool?
1. When an ebonite rod is rubbed with wool ,the electrons flow from
the wool to the ebonite .
2. Due to the excess gain of electrons the ebonite rod acquires
negative charge.
3. Due to the loss of electrons the wool acquires positive charge.
4. Since they acquire opposite charge they attract each other.
Charging by conduction

Q. What is meant by charging

by conduction?
The process of charging an
uncharged object by touching
it to an electrically charged
object is called charging by
conduction.
Charging a body negatively by conduction
method
Charging by conduction

Note - In this method if the object that is

to be charged is a good conductor of
electricity , the charge spreads to all parts
of its surface.
But if it is an insulator ,the charge remains
at the place where the contact is made.
Charging by induction
Q. What is meant by charging by induction?
The process of charging an uncharged object near it (but
not in contact with it ) is called charging by induction.
Difference between charging by conduction
and charging by induction
charging by conduction charging by induction

1.The charged object is brought in contact with 1. The charged object is brought near but not in
the uncharged object. contact with the uncharged object.

2. Electrons flow from the uncharged object to 2. No electrons flow from the charged object to
the positively charged object. the uncharged object.

3. The uncharged object gets the same kind of 3. . The uncharged object will get the opposite
charge as the charged object. charge as that of charged object.

4. The charge remains on the object even after 4. Grounding (earthing) or touching the object is
the object used for charging has been required for charging a body by induction.
removed.
Electric potential
Q. What is electric potential?
If two charged conductors are in contact, the charge starts flowing
from one conductor to the other. The electric condition that
determines the flow of charge from one conductor to other in contact
is called the electric potential.