Static Electricity Study Guide

What are protons and what is their charge?

Protons are positively charged subatomic particles located in the nucleus.

What are electrons and how do they interact with the nucleus?

Electrons are negatively charged subatomic particles that are weakly attracted to the nucleus.

Do neutrons affect an object’s charge?

No, neutrons are neutral and not considered when determining the charge of an object.

What is the elementary charge of a single electron or proton? |

±1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ Coulombs (C).

What kind of charge does an object have if it contains more protons than electrons?

A positive charge.

What kind of charge does an object have if it contains more electrons than protons?

A negative charge.

How do like charges interact?

They repel each other.

How do opposite charges interact?

They attract each other.

How do charged objects interact with neutral objects?

They experience an attractive interaction.

What are conductors?

Materials that allow electrons to move freely from atom to atom.

What happens when a conductor touches a charged object?

The charge spreads evenly across the conductor.

What is induction in conductors?

The process where a charged object polarizes a nearby conductor.

What are insulators?

Materials that impede the flow of electrons.

What happens when a charged object touches an insulator?

The charge stays localized; electrons don’t flow freely.

What is conserved during charging?

The net charge (charge conservation principle).

What happens when a negative object contacts a neutral object?

Both become negatively charged by sharing excess electrons.

What happens when a positive object contacts a neutral object?

Both become positively charged as the positive object gains electrons.

What happens during induction using a negatively charged object?

Electrons are repelled, bringing a net positive charge closer.

What happens during induction using a positively charged object?

Electrons are attracted, bringing a net negative charge closer.

What is an electroscope?

A device used to detect if an object is charged or neutral.

How does induction affect an electroscope?

Both leaves of the electroscope get the same charge and either repel or attract.

What does it mean if the leaves of an electroscope spread further apart?

The charge is increasing.

What does it mean if the leaves move closer together?

The charge is decreasing in magnitude.

What is the formula for Coulomb’s Law?

( Fe = k \cdot \frac{q1 \cdot q_2}{r^2} )

What does each symbol in Coulomb’s Law represent?

( Fe ): Electrostatic force, ( k ): 8.99 × 10⁹, ( q1, q_2 ): Charges, ( r ): Distance between charges

What happens if you double the charge of one particle?

The electrostatic force doubles.

What happens if you double the charge of both particles?

The electrostatic force quadruples.

How does distance affect electrostatic force?

The force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance.