Static Electricity

What Is Static
Electricity?
• A stationary
electrical charge that
is built up on the
surface of a material
 Two kinds of charges
• After being rubbed, a
plastic ruler can attract
paper scraps.
Ruler carries electric charge.
It exerts electric force on paper.
This charging method is called charging by friction.

The interaction between static electric charges is called

electrostatics.
 Where do charges come from?

Matter is made up of atoms.

+ Proton (positive charge)

–
neutron (neutral)
+
+ +

– electron (negative charge)

– –

atom nucleus
 Where do charges come from?
If electrons = protons neutral

If electrons > protons  gaining electrons, negative

charge
If electrons < protons  losing electrons, positive
charge
 Electro-negativity
+++++ • Glass
Relative • Human Hair
++++
electro-negativity +++
• Nylon
ranking for some • Silk
++
• Fur
common materials + • Aluminum
from electron donating • Paper
materials (+, glass) to - • Cotton
electron accepting -- • Copper
materials (-, teflon) --- • Rubber
---- • PVC
----- • Teflon
Where do charges come from?

Rubbing materials does NOT create

electric charges. It just transfers
electrons from one material to the
other.
Where do charges come from?
When a balloon rubs a piece of wool...
– + electrons are pulled from the
wool to the balloon.
– +
– The balloon has more electrons than
– +
– usual.
– +
wool + The balloon: – charged,
The wool: +charged
 Insulators and conductors

Insulators: materials that do NOT

allow electrons to flow through them
easily.

Insulators can be easily charged by friction as the extra

electrons gained CANNOT easily escape.
4 Insulators and conductors

Conductors: materials that allow electrons to flow

through them easily.

Conductors CANNOT be easily charged by friction as

the extra electrons gained can easily escape.
 Induction: The production of a charge in an
uncharged body by bringing a charged
object close to it
When negatively charged rod is put near a metal can...
electrons of the can are pushed
- - - - - - - away from the rod.
induced
charges attraction  top of the can: positive
++ + buttom of the can: negative
+ +
& attraction > repulsion
- -
metal - -
-
can
repulsion
 Attraction of uncharged objects
Similarly, when charged rod is close to paper
scrap...
molecules of paper align.
- - - - - - -
 attraction between the
attraction
+++ + rod and + charge >
––– – repulsion between the rod
paper +++ + and - charge.
––– –

repulsion
 Static Discharge
Human body can not feel less than
2,000 volts of static discharge

Static charge built up by scuffing

shoes on a carpet can exceed 20,000
volts?
 Gas Station Fires
• Carol said a static gas pump fire is blamed for
burning her daughter so badly she needed skin
grafts on her legs.

• Carol had put the gas pump nozzle on automatic

and re-entered her car to write a check. When her
then-12-year-old daughter, wearing a sweater and
jacket that may have created static electricity,
reached for the nozzle, flames suddenly ignited her
clothing.
 Grounding
What is grounding?

An object is grounded when it is connected

to the earth through a connecting wire.

If a charged conductor is grounded, it

will become neutral.
 Grounding
b How does grounding occur?
When we touch a metal ball of
positive charge...
+ +
+ electrons flow from the
+ +
–
earth to the metal ball to
neutralize the metal ball.
Metal ball becomes neutral.
 Grounding
How does grounding occur?
Similarly, if the metal ball is of
negative charge...
– –
– extra electrons flow
– –
from the metal ball to
–
the earth and the ball
becomes neutral.
 Lightning
• kills more • one mile every
than 60 five seconds
people and • about 20,000 C
• injures more • Voltage of up to
than 400 1.2x108 volts
people a year •
in the US
Limit Exposure
 Do Now
Write a paragraph
about the cartoon. Tell
what he is trying to do.
Will it work and why?
What do you think will
happen? Use the
following words, static
electricity, lightning,
electrons, positive and
negative charges.
The End