CHAPTER 7 : ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM

7.1 Electrostatics

By the end of this class, a student is able to:

Describe what electrostatics is State the types of static electrical charges and their properties Describe how static electrical charges can be produced in some materials Explain everyday phenomena caused by static electrical charges

Electrostatics
Electrostatics is the study of static electrical charges. There are two types of electrical charges : a) positive (+) b) negative (-) When two materials are rubbed against one another, the friction that acts between the materials causes one of materials to become positively charge and the other to become negatively charged

Electrostatics
Electrostatics

is the study of static electrical charges. Static electrical charges will occur only in insulators such as plastic rod.

Electrical Charges And Their Properties

There are two types of electrical charges : a) positive charges (proton) b) negative charges(electron) The different charges will attract one another The same charges will repel one another. Both type of charges will attract anything neutral.

Charging by Friction

An object with the same number of positive and negative charges is said to be NEUTRAL. If an object has more electrons than protons , it will be negatively charged. If an object has fewer electrons than protons , it will be positively charged. This method of charging an object is called charging by friction.

All materials is made up of atoms. Atom is made up of : a) electron (negatively charge)- outside b) proton ( positive charge) inside nucleus c) neutron (no charges) inside nucleus

Material which have an equal number of positive and negative charges are classified as neutral or not charged. When two different materials rub against one another, negative electrical charges or electron are transferred from one material to another material. The material which gains negative charges becomes negatively charged, while the material which loses its negative charges becomes positively charged.

Detecting Static Electrical Charges by using a Gold Leaf Electroscope

Electroscope is used to detect the electrical charges. The steps in the use of an electroscope : a) Bring the object under test close to a metal cap of a neutral electroscope. b) If the gold leaf is deflected , the object is charged. c) If the gold leaf is not deflected, the object is neutral or not charged.

EVERYDAY PHENOMENA RELATED TO STATIC ELECTRICAL CHARGES

LIGHTNING
- As the clouds rub against the air, they are charged by friction. - Positive charges gather at the top while negative charges at the bottom. - When the charged clouds move closer to the surface of the earth, their negative charges will attract positive charges at the surface of the earth and buildings. - Strong electrostatics forces act between the unlike charges causing them to move quickly towards one another and releases a lot of energy in the form of flashes of light commonly known as lightning.

LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR

To reduce the risk of a building being struck by lightning. Its are fitted at the highest point of the building and connected by thick metal strip directly to the ground . When lightning strikes a building, it will hit the lightning conductor and its negative electrical charges will flow directly into the earth through the metal strip without causing any damage to the building.

OIL TANKER

When moves, its body is charged by friction. As the amount of static electrical charges on the body of the oil tanker increases, a strong electrostatic forces causes a rapid flow of static electrical charges that produces sparks. Sparks can ignite inflammable oil vapour to cause an explosion To reduce electrical charges, a tanker has a metal chain which will flow the charges to the ground without causing any sparks.