Science Part A: Electrostatics

Who’s Thales?

Greek philosopher in 600BC. Saw that amber would attract particles when rubbed with fur.

What is electric charge?

Property of matter. Can be + or -. Responsible for attraction and repulsion of objects.

What are charged objects?

Objects that have an excess or deficit of electrons. - charged object: more e- than p+ (excess e-). + charged objects: less e- than p+ (e- deficit). Neutral object: equal amount of e- and p+.

Most objects we interact with are electrically ___.

Neutral.

What does static mean?

Not in motion, stationary.

What does electricity mean?

Electric charge of an object.

What is Static Electricity?

Build-up of stationary electrical charge on the surface of object.

What is Electrostatics?

Study of static electric charge.

Like charges ___ one another, while opposite charges ___ one another.

Repel, attract.

A charged object will ___.

Attract a neutral object.

The total number of ___ is consistent in any object because the protons are fixed in the ___.

+charges, nuclei of atoms.

___ are able to move from one ___, and also from one ___.

E-, atom to another, object to another.

What is a conductor?

An object that allows its electrons to move freely from one atom to another.

What is an insulator?

An object that does not allow its electrons to move freely.

What are examples of conductors?

Metals, humid air.W

What are examples of insulators?

Glass, ebonite.

When two objects come into contact, some ___ are formed between the surface of the ___. When the objects are then pulled apart, the ___ involved in the bond will not necessarily stay with their ___.

Chemical bonds, objects, e-, original material.

Some materials hold on to their ___ more ___ than others.

E-, strongly.

What’s an electrostatic/triboelectric series?

Arranges different materials in order of their tendency to gain/keep e-.

What are the ways an object can become elec charged?

• Charging by friction.

• Charging by contact (conduction).

  • Charging by induction (temporary and permanent).

What’s an induced charged seperation?

When the e- are repelled by the - object.