Video: Senior Physics Electricity

Conductors and Insulators

1 Compare conductors and insulators with respect to presence of
movement of negative charges throughout the materials.

BOTH conductors and insulators...

ONLY conductors... whereas ONLY insulators...

Identify examples of materials that conduct. Identify examples of materials that insulate.

2 Complete the following table:

Atomic Mass Location in Atom

Subatomic
(in Atomic Mass Units Charge Relative to
particle
or a.m.u.) Nucleus
Proton

Neutron

Electron

What part of the atom is 99% of the mass concentrated?

3 Which electrons, relative to their location to the nucleus, are easiest to

pull away? Explain fullywhy using your understanding of attractive and
repulsive forces of subatomic particles.
5 Explain fully, using your understanding of charges of the copper atom,
why copper is a good conductor of electricity.

6 Define ion.

7 Explain fully, using your understanding of atomic structure, why positive charges within copper
atomsdo not move about freely towards thenegative end.

8 Explain fully, using your understanding of electron flow and electrons

bonded in chemical structures, why carpet and sulfur elements are not
goodconductors.

Charging and Discharging

1 Explain what it means for the wool sweater and cotton shirt to be
electrically neutral.

2 Explain fully, using your understanding of relative sizes of nuclei of

atoms within different materials, why electrons of wool are attracted
to atoms of cotton.
3 Explain fully, using your understanding of the Law of Electrostatics, why there are limited numbers of
electrons transfer over to atoms of cotton before someare transferred back by atoms of the wool.

4 Explain fully, using your understanding of the type of materialof wool and cotton, why transfer of
charges are limited to the area closest between the materials.

5 Define discharge.

6 Explain fully, using your understanding of Law of Electric

Charges, why you can get a shock when touching a metal tap.

When will the transfer of charges stop? Explain fully.

7 Explain fully why the Earth will remain relative neutral despiteit receiving extra electrons regularly
from discharged objectsand lightning from clouds.

8 Define grounding.

9 Explain fully, using your understanding of relative sizes of nuclei of

atoms within rubber and cotton, why electrons of wool are attracted
to atoms of rubber.

10 Explain fully, using your understanding of Law of Electric Charges,

why a person wearing a positive-charged shirt can get a shock when
touching a metal tap.
11 If a person is positive-charged, where do extra electrons go when she is grounded? Explain fully.

If a person is negative-charged, where do extra electrons go when heis grounded? Explain fully.

12 What is the function of an electroscope?

Why must the electroscope be made entirely of a conducting material?

Why must the electroscope be insulated from the ground?

13 Explain fully, using your understanding of transfer of charges and the Law of Electrostatics, why the
metal leaves of an electroscope open when a negative-charged object contacts a neutral
electroscope. (Hint: Explain the movement of electrons within the electroscope.)
14 Explain fully, using your understanding of transfer of charges and the Law of Electrostatics, why the
metal leaves of an electroscope open when a positive-charged object contacts a neutral
electroscope. (Hint: Explain the movement of electrons within the electroscope.)

Charging By Induction
15 Explain fully, using your understanding of
theLaw of Electrostatics,why two people,
eachwearing either a neutral cotton or
neutralwool, experience shocks when
separating after dancing close together.

16 Explain fully, using your understanding of

the Law of Electrostatics, why one person
experiences a shock after the other person
rubs his foot with the carpet, then touches
the first person's nose.
17 Define induced-charge separation or charging by induction.

18 Explain fully, using your understanding of the Law of Electrostatics and induced-charge separation,
why the metal leaves of an electroscope open when a negative-charged object approaches a
neutral electroscope. (Hint: Explain the movement of electrons within the electroscope.)

18 Explain fully, using your understanding of the Law of Electrostatics and induced-charge separation,
why the metal leaves of an electroscope open when a positive-charged object approaches a
neutral electroscope. (Hint: Explain the movement of electrons within the electroscope.)

19 Explain fully, using your understanding of the Law of Electrostatics

and induced-charge separation, why lightning forms.
(Hint: Explain movement of electrons within the cloud and ground.)
 Ways of Transferring Charges
1 Charging by Friction

One uncharged (neutral) object rubs continually with one uncharged (neutral) object.

As a result, objects become oppositely-charged: One becomes negatively charged.

One becomes positively charged.

 e.g. Uncharged (neutral) person walking across an uncharged (neutral) carpet:

+
+
+
+++
+ + +
+ + +

+ +
+ + +
+

BEFORE FRICTION (rubbing), AFTER FRICTION (rubbing),

 Both the person and the carpet are neutral. Both the person and carpet are oppositely
charged.

2 Charging by Conduction (aka. Contact once)

One charged (negative OR positive) object touches an uncharged (neutral) object

As a result, both objects have small negative charges OR both objects have small positive charges.

 e.g. Negatively-charged student touches an uncharged (neutral) metal door knob:

+ + + +
+ + + +
+ + + + + +
+ +

BEFORE CONTACT (touching once) AFTER CONTACT (touching once)

 The hand is negatively-charged negatively Both the hand and doorknob are
anddoorknob is neutral. negatively-chargedslightly.
3 Charging by Induction (aka. Induced-Charge Separation)

One charged (negative OR positive) object attracts an uncharged (neutral) object

As a result, both objects keep their charge (i.e. negative OR positive, STILL neutral) until contact.

 e.g. Negatively-charged TV screen attracts an uncharged (neutral) dust particle:

- -
+ +
- -
+ +
- -
- -
- -

BEFORE APPROACH AFTER APPROACH

 Dust particle is neutral Dust particle is STILL neutral

However, electrons within dust repel away from
negative-charged TV screen

protons within dust attract neg. charged TV

As a result, dust particle attracted to TV screen

Applications of Static Electricity

Q: Explain fully, using your understanding of static electricity,
whya charged balloon stick to a wall.

http://www.scifizz.com/games/balloons_and_static_electricity/
 Practice Qs: Applications of Static Electricity
1 Explain fully, using your understanding of static electricity, how a Swiffer
duster works to pick up dust easily.

2 Explain fully, using your understanding of static electricity, why humidifiers

are utilized more often in winter than summer. (Hint: Is static electricity
experienced more often in winter or summer?)

3 Explain fully, using your understanding of static electricity, why

different clothes show static cling after tumbling in the dryer.

Explain fully, using your understanding of static electricity, why identify clothes (e.g. pair of socks) do
NOT show static cling after tumbling in thedryer.
4 Explain fully, using your understanding of static electricity, how
photocopiesare made.

5 Explain fully, using your understanding of static electricity, why

youexperience a shock after touching your car after driving on
thehighway in the winter.

6 Explain fully, using your understanding of static electricity, why

planes have static dischargers or wicks on their wing tips.

7 Explain fully, using your understanding of static electricity,

howalightning rod works.
8 Explain fully, using your understanding of static electricity,
how spray painting works.

9 Explain fully, using your understanding of static electricity,

how electrostatic precipitators work to separate smoke
from waste gases exiting smoke stacks of factories.

10 How does a Van de Graaff generator work? Identify the parts

that are conductors and insulators.

11 Explain fully, using your understanding of static electricity, why

long, dry hair of a person stands up when she is touching a live
Van de Graaff generator?