Lesson 8: Static Electricity and Charges
Understanding Static Electricity and Charges
Static electricity is the result of an imbalance between negative and positive charges in objects. Charges can be transferred through conduction, induction, or friction.
Conduction occurs when electrons are transferred from one object to another through direct contact.
Induction occurs when a charged object is brought near a neutral object, causing a separation of charges within the neutral object.
Friction occurs when two objects are rubbed together, causing electrons to be transferred from one object to another.
Example Problems
Example problem:
Two objects, A and B, are located in space. Object A has a mass of 5 kg and object B has a mass of 10 kg. They are 2 meters apart. Calculate the gravitational force between the two objects.
Solution:
Gravitational force = G * (mass1 * mass2) / distance²
= 6.674 * 10^-11 N*(m/kg)² * (5 kg * 10 kg) / (2 m)²
= 8.34 * 10^-10 N
Another example:
A positively charged rod is brought near a neutral metal sphere. What happens to the charges in the sphere?
Solution:
The electrons in the sphere will be attracted to the positively charged rod, causing the side of the sphere nearest to the rod to become negatively charged and the far side to become positively charged.