Static Electricity (Triple)

Question 1

what makes a good conductor

Answer 1

electrons can flow easily through the conductor

Question 2

objects such as plastic and glass
are ______
why is this?

Answer 2

they are insulators

electrons cannot move through insulators

Question 3

cloth is an example of what

Answer 3

an insulator

Question 4

cloth is covered with electrons that……

because cloth is an insulator

Answer 4

that cannot move

Question 5

everything is covered with electrons, electrons that can move are _____
electrons that can’t move are_____

Answer 5

that can move = conductors

that can’t move = insulators

Question 6

what happens when we rub the insulators, plastic onto the cloth?

Answer 6

the electrons move from the plastic onto the cloth
the cloth has now gained electrons from the plastic meaning the cloth has an overall negative charge
the plastic has lost electrons making it have an overall positive charge which is EQUAL in size to the negative cloth
we call this static electricity

Question 7

what is static electricity

Answer 7

the passing of electrons from an insulator to another insulator

Question 8

what is a van de grand generator
and what happens in it
name the parts too

Answer 8

the generator has a moving belt, as the belt moves, electrons pass from the top plastic roller onto the belt
electrons now pass off the belt and are transferred to earth
this makes the top region of the generator become positively charged
the metal dome on the generator acts as a store of positive charge by allowing to spread out

Question 9

what happens in the metal dome of a van de graaf generator

Answer 9

it acts as a store of positive charge by allowing it to spread out
positive charge builds up on the dome

Question 10

what happens when we touch the positive charge in the metal dome

Answer 10

we get an overall positive charge, the hairs on our head are positive so they repel each other and move apart.

Question 11

when can electrostatic charge build up? use an example
what can this cause?
what do we do to prevent this?

Answer 11

electrostatic charge can build up as the fuel flows through the refuelling pipe.
This could cause a spark and trigger an explosion

To prevent that, both the refuelling truck and the aeroplane are earthed.
This prevents any charges from building up and leading to a spark