Topic 7 Static Electricity Flashcards
What is an ion?
An ion is an atom that has become imbalanced, and therefore charged.
When will static electricity occur?
When there is an imbalance of charges in an atom
What is attraction?
A force that pulls something towards itself.
What is repulsion?
It is a force that pushes something away from itself
How do magnets work?
When the two poles of a magnet are the same, they repel each other.
When the two poles of a magnet are different, they attract each other.
How can you charge some materials?
You can charge them by rubbing them.
How does charging by rubbing work?
The electrons from the one material move to the other. The one with fewer electrons will be positively charged, and the one with more electrons will be negatively charged. ONLY electrons can be transferred, protons NEVER move.
What is friction?
Friction is the rubbing of one material against another.
What happens when a negatively charged material comes into contact with a neutral material?
The extra electrons in the negative substance repel the electrons in the neutral material. This causes the neutral substance to become positively charged in a small area, which means the negative substance will stick to it.
What does it mean if an atom is neutral?
It means that the positive and negative charges are equal and balance each other out.
What subatomic particles transfer from material to material?
Electrons move. Protons do not move
What substance readily gives up electrons?
Wool, silk and other types of cloth.
What is a force?
A push or a pull
What kinds of substances can you use to build up an electric charge?
Insulators. Conductors do not build up an electric charge.
What is the most dangerous place to be during a lightening storm at Heronbridge College?
Near the flagpole
What kinds of unlike charges are there?
Negative charge vs positive charge
Charged vs uncharged
What does friction do?
It does not create charges, it only separates them.
Describe the difference between electrons and protons.
An electron is a subatomic particle with a negative charge, a proton is a subatomic particle with a positive charge.
Protons are located in the central nucleus of an atom, whereas electrons orbit around the outside.
Electrons are free to move, while protons are in a fixed position.
An electron is 1 840 times smaller than a proton, however the electric cloud has a greater volume than the nucleus.
What is the similarity between protons and electrons?
They are both subatomic particles
How does friction cause an atom to be charged?
Friction is when the rubbing of two objects causes an electron to move to another atom. This other atom now has an extra electron, which imbalances it and causes the negative charge to be stronger. This creates a build-up of negatively charged ions, normally on the surface of a non-conductive material.
What causes an electrical spark?
It is a package of excess electrons moving from a negative atom to a neutral atom.
What causes lightning?
Friction (caused by wind) between the water and dust particles in a cloud causes a separation of charges.
How do clouds become charged?
The bottom of the cloud always becomes negatively charged, and the top of the cloud becomes positively charged.
How is an atom balanced?
By having an equal number of positive and negative charges.
