[electricity] static electricity

Static Electricity

Electric charge (at rest) that accumulates on an insulated objects; generally produced by friction.

Electrostatic Force

Attraction or repulsion of particles or objects because of their electric charge.

Electrostatic Shock

What a person gets when they are charged and then earthed.

Conductors

A material which allows charge to move easily through it.

Insulators

Material that does not allow charge or heat to pass through it easily.

Electric Fields

The regions where an electrically charged object experiences a force.

Electric Field Diagrams

- the direction of the arrow shows the way a positive charge will be pushed.
- the closer together (denser) the arrows are, the stronger the electrostatic force becomes; the field is stronger closer to the object.

Earthing/Grounding

Creating a physical path between an object and the ground so it loses its charge; electrons can flow through the path to or from the object.

Earthed Object

Under normal circumstance the potential difference between the earth and any object is 0V (p.d. of zero volts).

Ionisation

Any process in which atoms become charged by losing or gaining electrons.

Friction

A force that opposes or prevents movement and converts kinetic energy into heat.