Static Electricity

What is charging by friction?

Static electricity is when two neutral objects rub together and electrons transfer. As a result in the neutral objects becoming charged.

What is the Law of electric charges?

Like charges repel

Unlike charges attract each other

What does the electrostatic series tell you?

The higher object on the electrostatic series this always loses electrons and becomes positively charged. The lower object on the electro static series chart always gains electrons and becomes negatively charged.

What is charging by conduction?

Two objects with different amounts of electric charge come in contact and electrons move from one object to the other.

What happens when two charged objects come in contact with one another?

The electrons get evenly distributed, so the electrons move from the larger negative charge object to the the smaller negative charged object.

What is grounding?

Grounding and object involves balancing the charges by either adding electrons or removing electrons from the object. You connect the object to the earth, and the earth balance the electric charges.

What is charging by induction?

It is a way to charge an object without touching it. You use a charged object nearby to make electrons in a neutral object move.

How to charge by induction permanently?

An object can be permanently charged by induction by grounding the object. The ground object with either gain or lose electrons.

What is electric discharge?

Is the rapid transfer of electric charge from one object to another.

What can electric discharges look like?

Discharges can look like lightning and sparks:

Bigger difference in charge → more electrons move → more energy released → brighter or larger spark.

Explain whats happening?

The collisions between the ice and water separate make the top cloud positive and bottom cloud negative. The negative charge at the bottom of the cloud repels the electrons in the ground. This make the ground and house positive. When the difference of charge is strong enough electricity jumps through the air. Lightning.

What is lighting?

Lightning is very dramatic electric discharged, that transfers electrons

How does lightning form?

Lightning forms through the charge separation in the clouds, which leads to electrical discharge: lighting.

⚡ What materials are Conductors (allow charges/electrons to flow easily)

• Metals: copper, aluminum, iron, gold, silver

• Graphite (pencil lead)

• Water (if it’s not pure)

• The human body

• Metal wires

🚫 What materials are Insulators (do not allow charges to flow easily)

Common examples:

• Rubber

• Plastic

• Wood

• Glass

• Air

• Ceramic

• Cloth

What is static electricity?

An imbalance of electric charge on the surface of an object