Static Electricity Flashcards
What is static electricity?
Charges that remain stationary on the surface of an object
What is the Law of Electric Charges?
Like-charges repel, different charges attract, neutral likes all
What is an insulator?
A material in which electrons can’t move easily from 1 atom to another (charge on an insulator stays until neutralized)
What are ways to create static charge?
Friction, conduction, induction (temporary/permanent)
How does a pith ball electroscope work?
The pith ball is an insulator, surrounded by a conductor. If a charged object comes, pith is light so it moves (electric force)
How does the metal leaf electroscope work?
Leaves spread apart when electroscope is charged
What are the 2 ways to discharge an object?
- Contact/grounding
2. Sparking
How do you discharge an object by contact?
Touching charged object to object with the opposite charge to neutrilize
How do you discharge an object by grounding?
Coming into contact with a large enough neutral object so that it can provide/absorb electrons
How do you discharge an object by sparking?
When an object is so charged, it’s electric force is so strong, it is able to move/pull electrons over a distance to become neutral
Why do we get more static shocks in the winter than the summer?
Because the dry, winter air doesn’t remove any of the charges our bodies pick up
How do charges in a thundercloud form?
During a storm, particles within the cloud collide. Rising ice crystals & falling hail rub together. Ice crystals become positively charged
