Static Electricity and Electric Charges

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering fundamental concepts, definitions, and mechanisms of static electricity, charging methods, conductors, insulators, and electric discharge.

Electric charge

A form of charge, either positive or negative, that exerts an electric force.

Neutral object

An object that has equal numbers of $p^+$'s and $e^-$'s.

Negatively charged object

An object that has more $e^-$'s than $p^+$'s.

Positively charged object

An object that has fewer $e^-$'s than $p^+$'s.

Static electricity

An imbalance of electric charge on the surface of an object.

Pith-ball electroscope

An instrument consisting of a pith ball hung by a thread used to detect static electric charges; bringing a charged object near it attracts the ball, indicating charge.

Electric force

The force exerted by an object with an electric charge; it can be a force of attraction or a force of repulsion.

Induced charge separation

A shift in the position of electrons in a neutral object that occurs when a charged object is brought near it.

Charging By Friction

The transfer of $e^-$'s between two neutral objects made from different materials that occurs when they are rubbed together or come in contact.

Electrostatic series

A list of materials arranged in order of their tendency to gain $e^-$'s.

Charging By Conduction

Charging an object by contact with a charged object, where $e^-$'s flow from the more negative to the less negative object.

Grounding

Connecting an object to a larger body, like Earth, that is capable of effectively removing an electric charge that the object may have.

Conductor

A material that lets $e^-$'s move easily through it.

Insulator

A material that does not easily allow the movement of $e^-$'s through it.

Charging By Induction

Charging a neutral object by bringing another charged object close to, but not touching the neutral object.

Permanent induction charging

A process where a charged object is brought near a neutral one to polarize it, the like-charged side is grounded so $e^-$'s flow, the ground is disconnected first, and then the charged object is removed, leaving the neutral object with a permanent opposite charge.

Electric Discharge

The rapid transfer of electric charge from one object to another.

Lightning

A massive electric discharge caused by charge imbalances in storms, where colliding droplets cause negative charges to build at the cloud base and induce positive charge on the ground.

Lightning rods

Metal rods on the roof connected by a wire to ground that give lightning strikes a low-resistance path safely into Earth, protecting the structure.