Static Electricity

Static Electricity

Charge, atomic structure, attraction, repulsion, and the origins of electrostatics

Static Electricity

Static Electricity lesson illustration

 

Name the 3 particles in the atom.
What is the charge of each particle?

 

Show Me The Physics
YouTube Channel

 

Static Electricity
HyperPhysics

jenvan3

 

Unit III Electricity & Magnetism

 

Static Electricity Intro

Fill In the Blanks Notes

I.  Static Electricity - electronic charges flowing in no particular direction. (trapped in a body)

 

A) Electricity of the Atom

Static Electricity lesson illustration Atoms are
 ordinarily neutral

 

#p = #e-

 

n has no charge

 

p has +1 charge

 

e- has -1 charge

 

 

Charge electron
 
-1.6 x 10-19 Coulombs
(Reference)

 

 

 

 

Static Electricity lesson illustration

 

Did you know ....

 

Benjamin Franklin
Showed Them The Physics 

Static Electricity lesson illustration

National Portrait Gallery, London: NPG 327
Author - Joseph Siffred Duplessis (died 1802)

  • coined the terms positive and negative for electrical charge

  • proved lightning was static electricity

  • invented lightning rod

  • built a static electricity generator 

 
 

Ben Franklin
- Pioneering Physicist

 

Franklin
- World Famous American
(For Physics)

 

 

 

1. Atoms become charged by gaining or losing ...

 

 

Electrons

Static Electricity lesson illustration

 

 

3 Big Rules of Electrostatics

Opposites Attract


Static Electricity lesson illustration

Likes Repel


Static Electricity lesson illustration

Only Electrons Move

(Protons move, but don't leave nucleus)

 

 

Static Electricity lesson illustration

Charge plates can deflect an electron

 

 

 

 

Mg+2   F -1

Mg atom
Lost 2 electrons
  

F  atom
gained 1 electron

20 p , 18 e-
What's the charge?

 

 

+ 2

 

 

 

 

Why are protons never lost or gained?

 

Protons are held in the nucleus by the strongest forces in the universe

 

 

 

a) Ion: electrically charged particle:

 

 

Charge is unbalanced

 

 

 

 negative charge

 

 

 

#e > #p

 

 

 

 

 

positive charge

 

 

#p > #e

 

 

 

 

2. Charged objects lose their charge when grounded. (become neutral)

[ Flash ]

 

Static Electricity lesson illustration

"What is the

bottom prong of

 a plug called?"

Static Electricity lesson illustration

 

Static Electricity lesson illustration

"The bottom prong of
a plug called the ground.
It discharges any excess
charge that may develop
in an electrical device"

 

When grounded:

 

 

Negatively charged objects ...

 

 

... lose electrons

and become neutral.

 

 

 

 

Positively charged object ...

 

 

... gain electrons

and to become neutral.

 

 

 
A cork ball hangs straight with no force inside a positively charged metal can, while a charged cork ball outside the can is pushed away NYSSLS Reading Passage icon

NYSSLS Reading Passage · Electricity & Magnetism

The Electrician of Philadelphia: How Benjamin Franklin Gave Electricity Its Language

Open Reading Passage →

Check Your Understanding

5 quick questions — pick an answer to see if you’re right.

1. An atom is ordinarily neutral. What does that mean?

2. Atoms become charged by gaining or losing which particle?

3. An ion has 20 protons and 18 electrons. What is its net charge?

4. An object gains 3 extra electrons. What is its net charge? (Electron charge = −1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C)

5. A positively charged object is grounded and becomes neutral. What happened?

The Electroscope →