Electricity

Question 1

What is static electricity?

Answer 1

It is the result of an imbalance between negative and positive charges in an object. It refers to an electric charge that tends to stay on the surface of an object rather than flowing away.

Question 2

What is a charged object?

Answer 2

It is an object that does not have an equal amount of + and - charges.

Question 3

What are the laws of Charges?

Answer 3

1. Opposite charges attract.
2. Charges of the same type of repel.
3. Charge cannot appear or disappear, only be transferred from one object to another.
4. Only negative charges can move. 

Question 4

How does charging by friction work?

Answer 4

When objects are rubbed together electrons can be transferred from one object to the other. The objects start off as neutral. The object that has a stronger hold on electrons will gain electrons from the other object (the object with the weaker hold on it’s electrons. The object that gains electrons will become negatively charged and the object that loses electrons will become positively charged.

Question 5

Transfer of charge for conductors

Answer 5

Electrons can easily flow onto and through conductors.

Question 6

Transfer of charge for insulators

Answer 6

Electrons do not easily flow onto and through insulators.

Question 7

What is a conductor?

Answer 7

A conductors of material that allows electrons to flow freely through it, make it useful for carrying electric current.

Question 8

What is an insulator?

Answer 8

An insulator is a material that resist the flow of electrons, so it does not allow electric current pass through it.

Question 9

What is an electric current?

Answer 9

And electric current is a stream of charged particles, such as electrons are ions, moving through an electrical conductor space.

Question 10

What is static discharge?

Answer 10

When charged objects are brought together and electric discharge can occur we’re electrons quickly flow from the negatively charged object to the positively or neutral charged object. This causes a shock. 

Question 11

How do you remove static charge?

Answer 11

By putting a charged object in contact with the ground the object can be neutralized. A ground can provide or take away a very large amount of electrons to neutralize a charged object.

Question 12

What is the result of charging by contact with a negatively charged object?

Answer 12

Both objects will have a negative charge but the original charged object will have lost some electrons (therefore, lost some charge).

Question 13

What is the result of charging by contact with a positively charged object?

Answer 13

Both object will have a positive charge but the original charged object will have lost some protons (therefore, lost some charge).

Question 14

How will electrons flow when charging by contact with negatively charged object?

Answer 14

Electrons will flow from the charged object to the neutral object.

Question 15

How will electrons flow from charging by contact with a positively charged object?

Answer 15

Electrons will flow from the neutral object to the charged object.

Question 16

What is an electric field?

Answer 16

It is an invisible force field created by the attraction and repulsion of electrical charges. They exert electric forces on objects around them. 

Question 17

What factors make electric fields stronger and weaker?

Answer 17

The amount of charge on the objects (amount of protons and electrons) and the distance they are away from each other. Objects with greater charge create stronger electric fields.The electric field is stronger where electric field lines are closer together, and weaker where they are further apart.

Question 18

What is induction and induced charge separation?

Answer 18

It is when charged objects are brought near a neutral objects (induction), and they can cause the electrons in the neutral object to move towards or away from the charged object. (induced charge separation)

Question 19

What are similarities between charging by friction, charging by contact and induced charge separation?

Answer 19

1. All three methods of charging involve the transfer of electrons from one object to another.
2. All three methods can create static electricity, which can produce electric shocks, attract or repel other objects, and cause other electrical effects.
3. All three methods can be used to generate charges in the conductive and insulating materials.

Question 20

What are differences between charging by friction, charging by contact and induced charge separation?

Answer 20

1. Charging by friction involves rubbing two objects together, while charging by contact involves bringing a charged object into contact with a neutral object, and induced charge separation involves bringing a charged object near a neutral object without touching it.
2. Charging by friction is less efficient and charging by contact or induced charge separation, as much as a charge can be lost to the surrounding environment.
3. Charging by friction and charging by contact can create permanent charges on objects, while induced charge separation creates temporary charges that disappear when the charged object is removed.

Question 21

How are lightning rods constructed and how do they work?

Answer 21

Lightning rods are conducting rods and they are placed on the highest point of buildings since lightning typically strikes objects that are taller because the shortest path needs to be created, and the rod is attached by cable running towards the ground.It’s lightning strikes the rod the current will be transferred directly to the ground through the cable. The rods also reduce the chance of lightning forming by helping to equalize charge difference in the cloud. 

Question 22

How is lighting created?

Answer 22

Lightning is created by charging through friction. Water droplets particles inside of a cloud carried up by air currents. Heavier water droplets inhale fall through the cloud because of gravity. The two groups collide in e^lectrons are transferred to the hail in the large water droplets. Negative charges build up at the bottom of the cloud. As a charge builds up in induces a positive charge on the ground below the cloud. The attraction between the charges causes an ion channels to be formed from the cloud consisting of ionized gases. When the ion channel get close enough, the positive charge on the ground ion channel to meet it. When these channels link the form of conduct a chain between the cloud in the ground in a huge amount of electrons (energy) are transferred along this path. Lightning typically strikes L objects that are taller since the shorter pan needs to be created.