P4 - Uses of Static Electricity

Question 1

What are bikes and cars painted with?

Answer 1

Bikes and Cars in the modern day are painted using electrostatic paint sprayers.

Question 2

How does an electrostatic paint sprayer work?

Answer 2

• The spray gun is charged, which charges up the small drops of paint.
• Each paint drop repels all the others, since they have all got the same charge, so you get a very fine spray.
• The object to painted is given an opposite charge to the gun. This attracts the fine spray of paint

Question 3

What are some advantages of using electrostatics to paint cars?

Answer 3

• Provides an even coat
• Hardly any paint is wasted
• Parts facing away from the spray gun receive paint too.
• There are no paint shadows.

Question 4

How can smoke be removed from factories & power stations?

Answer 4

• Factories and power stations produce loads of smoke, which is made up of tiny particles.
• This smoke can be removed with a precipitator.

Question 5

How does a Precipitator work?

Answer 5

• As smoke particles reach the bottom of the chimney, they meet a wire grid or rods with a high voltage and negative charge.
• The dust particles gain electrons and become negatively charged.
• Dust particles then induce a charge on the earthed metal plates, the negatively charged dust particles repel electrons on the plate, this makes the plate positively charged.
• The dust particles are attracted to the metal plate, where they stick together to from larger particles
• When heavy enough the particles fall off the plates or are knocked off by a hammer
• The dust falls to the bottom of the chimney and can be removed

Question 6

What is an advantage of using a precipiator?

Answer 6

• The gases coming out of the chimney have very few smoke particles in them.

Question 7

What is the beating of your heart controlled by?

Answer 7

• The beating of your heart is controlled by tiny electrical impulses inside your body, so an electric shock to a stopped heart can make it start beating again.

Question 8

What are defibrillators used for?

Answer 8

• Defibrillators can be used to shock a stopped heart back into operation.

Question 9

What does defibrillators consist of?

Answer 9

Defibrillators consist of two paddles connected to a power supply.

Question 10

How do defibrillators work?

Answer 10

• The paddles of the defibrillator are placed firmly on the chest to get a good electrical contact, and then the defibrillator is charged up
• Everyone moves away from the patient except for the operator, who holds insulated h handles so only the patient gets a shock.
• The charge passes through the paddles to the patient to make the heart contract.