Electrostatics

ISU Science GRADE 10 - physics 2021/2022
Electrostatics
DEFINITIONS
Static electricity - a stationary electric charge, typically produced by friction, which can
accumulate on an object’s surface and discharge from there.
Law of conservation of charge – Charge cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be

transferred from one object to another.
Electric conductor – A substance through which charge can flow.
Electric insulator – A substance through which charge cannot flow.

Isolator is a switch in an
Polarisation – The process of separating charge in a substance. electrical circuit similar to the
light switch in home to close
or open a circuit... Insulator
is a non-conductor of
electricity
ELECTRICAL CHARGE
The chemical structure of an atom:

 All matter consists of: protons (p+), electrons (e-) and
neutrons (no)
 There are only two types of charge: + (positive from the
protons) and – (negative form the electrons)
 The protons (p+), positive charge: are situated in die nucleus
of the atom and CAN NOT MOVE to another atom
 The electrons (e-), negative charge: are situated in the
energy levels of the atom and CAN MOVE to another atom
if enough energy is supplied
When is an atom charged?

 When there are equal amounts of + and – charges then an object is neutrally
charged.
 When an object has a + charge, then it possesses more p+ than e-, meaning it had to
give e- away.
 When an object has a – charge, then it possesses more e- than p+, meaning it had to
gain e-.
 A charged atom is called an ion (positive charge = cation ; negative charge = anion)
1
Quantified: To express or
CHARGE CAN BE QUANTIFIED measure the quantity of…
- Magnitude of charge on one e- = -1,6 x 10-19 C

(Constant value that will be given in tests)
- Charge exists only in multiples of the charge on an electron.

 That means for example a charge of -2.08 x10-19 C would not exist because
Q
 n e=
q ❑e
−19
−2.08 x 10
 −19
=1.3 electrons
−1.6 x 10
 and 1.3 electrons is not possible.
Charge of an e- = – 1,6 x 10-19 C Charge of a p+ = + 1,6 x 10-19 C
Q or q = charge C = Coulomb
Handy formula to have:

ne = Amount of electronsQ
Q = Charge of onn❑ e=
objectqe
qe = Charge of an electron: GIVEN = -1,6 x 10-19 C
ELECTROSTATIC FORCES OF ATTRACTION AND REPULSION
 Similar / like charges repel each other.

 Opposite / unlike charges attract each other.
IMPLICATIONS OF THE LAW OF CONSERVATION OF CHARGE

 Charge can be transferred from one object to another.
 When two objects of the same size, shape and type of material are brought up to
touch each other, they share the total charge equally, and when they separate from
each other they both carry the same amount of charge.
2
Important example:
Two pith balls, not touching, with opposite charge, are allowed to move freely.
One pith ball has a positive charge of: +3,84 x 10-18 C (less electrons than protons). The
other pith ball has a negative charge of: -9,6 x 10-18 C (more electrons than protons)
1) What is the total charge of the system?

o Q1 + Q2 = Qt: +3,84 x 10-18 + (-9,6 x 10-18)
= - 5,76 x 10-18 C ( - means more e- than p+)
2) What is the equal charge on both the pith balls after they have touched?
o Qt / 2 = Qend: - 5,76 x 10-18 /2
= -2.88 x 10-18 C ( - means more e- than p+)
3) How many more electrons do each pith ball have than protons?
o Qend / qe = ne: -2.88 x 10-18 / -1.6 x 10-19
= 18 electrons more than protons
4) Which pith ball gained electrons, how much charged did it gain, how much electrons did it gain?
o The positive pith ball gained electrons
o Qend – Qbeginning = Qchange:
-2.88 x 10-18 – (+3,84 x 10-18) = -6,72 x10-18 C
o Qchange / qe = ne:
-6,72 x10-18 / -1.6 x 10-19 = 42 electrons gained
5) Which pith ball lost electrons, how much charged did it lose, how much electrons did it lose?
o The negative pith ball lost electrons
o Qend – Qbeginning = Qchange:
-2.88 x 10-18 – (-9,6 x 10-18) = +6,72 x10-18 C
o Qchange / qe = ne:
+6,72 x10-18 / -1.6 x 10-19 = - 42 (- means 42 electrons lost)
WORKSHEET TO COMPLETE
CHARGED CONDUCTORS
Electric conductor – A substance through which charge can flow.
Electric insulator – A substance through which charge cannot flow.
3
 Charge is spread evenly over a metal sphere, but at a sharp point charge is
concentrated.
o That means a charged object with a point, will likely discharge from the point.
 When another conductor is brought closer to a charged conductor, charge will flow
from one to the other.
o This video (2:46) show how a van de Graaff generator works (and a little bit about
polarisation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmbhU_a7tjs&t=2s
 When an object is rubbed (charged by friction) with a cloth that is made from
insulation material, e- are transferred from the cloth to the object, which causes the
object to obtain a negative charge.
o For learners who are working towards a 6 and more - you can read the following
information (2 paragraphs) on how to know which object will become negative
and which object will become positive:
http://soft-matter.seas.harvard.edu/index.php/Triboelectric_series
 Use the following link to familiarize yourself with the PHET simulations:
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/balloons-and-static-electricity/latest/
balloons-and-static-electricity_en.html
 When certain objects come into contact (charged by contact) with each other, e- are
transferred or shared between the objects. The amount of p+ and e- determine how
many e- are transferred or shared.
POLARISATION
 Charge cannot flow through an insulator. When charge is transferred to a point on an

insulator, the charge stays in that location.
 This PHET simulation can be used to explain how polarisation works using a balloon
sticking to a wall: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/balloons-and-static-electricity/
latest/balloons-and-static-electricity_en.html
o Drag the negative balloon over to the neutral wall

 The electrons in the wall move as far away as possible from the negative
balloon (like charge repel) NB: the PROTONS DO NOT MOVE!!
 The wall has formed two poles – positive and negative
o The balloon now sticks to the wall even if you let the mouse cursor go.
 The positive pole of the wall attracts the negative balloon.
4
 When you bring a charged ruler close to a little piece of paper, the ruler polarise the
paper and the paper will stick to the ruler.
Polar and non-polar covalent bonds – fun chem :
 Atoms with a higher electronegativity will pull a bonding pair of electrons closer to itself.
 Polar molecules are molecules where the charge is not spread evenly in
the molecule e.g. H2O where one side of the molecule is more positive
and the other side of the molecule is more negative.
o Water is already ‘polarised’
This video (2:08) shows how you can bend water using static electricity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhWQ-r1LYXY
LIGHTNING
A very interesting lightning phenomena (1:39): https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=Nnc5axMt9UU&feature=emb_logo
- Lightning is caused by an imbalance of electric charge between the earth and the
thundercloud.
- The top part of clouds becomes positively charged while the bottom have an excess of
negative charge.
- The negative charge at the bottom of the clouds causes electrons to stream away from it,
and this negative stream cause the electrons on earth the move from the surface to deeper
underground. The surface of the ground is now positively charged.
- As the lightning streams through the air, the air heats up rapidly. Pressure waves form
when the hot air expands and these pressure waves create a shockwave that we hear as
thunder.
Interesting facts about lightning:
 The energy contained from a single lightning strike can power a 100
watt light bulb for 90 days.
5
o Information on harvesting the energy of lightning:

https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/harvest-energy-
lightning.htm
WORKSHEET TO COMPLETE

Electrostatics

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ISU Science GRADE 10 - physics 2021/2022

Law of conservation of charge – Charge cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be

Electric conductor – A substance through which charge can flow.

Electric insulator – A substance through which charge cannot flow.

The chemical structure of an atom:

When is an atom charged?

- Magnitude of charge on one e- = -1,6 x 10-19 C

- Charge exists only in multiples of the charge on an electron.

Charge of an e- = – 1,6 x 10-19 C Charge of a p+ = + 1,6 x 10-19 C

Handy formula to have:

ELECTROSTATIC FORCES OF ATTRACTION AND REPULSION

 Similar / like charges repel each other.

IMPLICATIONS OF THE LAW OF CONSERVATION OF CHARGE

1) What is the total charge of the system?

Electric conductor – A substance through which charge can flow.

Electric insulator – A substance through which charge cannot flow.

 Charge cannot flow through an insulator. When charge is transferred to a point on an

o Drag the negative balloon over to the neutral wall

Polar and non-polar covalent bonds – fun chem :

A very interesting lightning phenomena (1:39): https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Interesting facts about lightning:

o Information on harvesting the energy of lightning:

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