Dang Nguyen, 1

Electrostatic Charges

Experiment [EX-5532]

by

Dang Nguyen

Submitted to

Professor John Barry

Physics Lab Report [2126]

Southwest College
Houston Community College System

Spring 2021
 Dang Nguyen, 2

Electrostatic Charges

Abstract

The number of failures caused by electrostatic discharges (ESD) has been increasing for

some time now. So, it is necessary for everyone, who handles electrostatic sensitive devices

(ESDS), to know the reasons of such failures. This presentation will give an overview about

possible causes for ESD in a SMT production line.

Comments: Electric Charge is that physical property of matter due to which the other

matter experience a force when matters are placed in electromagnetic field. Electric charge is

also known as Charge, Electrical Charge and Electrostatic Charge. It is denoted by symbol ‘q’. It

is a scalar quantity as charge has only magnitude and no direction. The two types of charges exist

in nature: Positive and Negative Charge.

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Electrostatic Charges

Introduction:

Electrostatics, the study of electromagnetic phenomena that occur when there are no

moving charges—i.e., after a static equilibrium has been established. Charges reach their

equilibrium positions rapidly because the electric force is extremely strong.

Theory A1:

Electric charge is a fundamental property of nature. It comes in two types, called positive

and negative. Positive charge is the type of charge carried by protons. Negative charge is the

type of charge carried by electrons. For an object to be positively charged, it has to have more

protons than electrons. For an object to be negatively charged, it has to have more electrons than

protons, disturbing the neutral charge balance.

Opposite charges always attract. Like charges tend to repel. At an elemental level, like

charges always repel (electrons repel electrons, protons repel protons), but for macroscopic

objects, non-symmetric charge distribution can result in an overall attraction between two objects

that carry the same type of overall charge (positive or negative). Non-symmetrical charge

distribution always results in an attraction between a charged object and an electrically neutral

(overall) object.
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Theory A2:

Most charging processes involve the transfer of electrons from one object to another. For

an object to become positively charged, it must lose some of its electrons. For an object to

become negatively charged, it must acquire more electrons. There are three types of charging:

Charging by rubbing, charging by contact, charging by induction.

Analysis A1:

Table I: Electrometer Voltages

Run 1 Run 2 Run 3

Reading
(V) (V) (V)

1 Initial 1 -42 31

2 After rub 1 -38 29

3 After separation 1 -38 30

4 Dark out 60 38 74

5 Both in -1 -35 28

6 White out -62 -75 -44

7 Final 0 -36 24

8 Both out 1 -1 0

9 Sum -2 -37 30
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1. What can you immediately conclude about the charges on the white wand and the dark

wand based on the signs of the voltages in Run 1?

The charges must be of different types since the dark disk by itself (white out) produces a

negative voltage reading, but the white disk produces a positive voltage. Although there is no

way to tell without knowing more about how the electrometer works, the white leather is

positive, and the black plastic is negative.

4. What do lines 1-3 imply?

The variations in lines 3, 5, & 7 imply uncertainties of 2-3 V. Considering this

uncertainty, lines 1-3 imply that the total change was unchanged by rubbing the two disks

together. However, lines 4 & 6 show that the charges on the disks did change even though the

total charge did not change.

6. Compare line 1 to line 9. What does this imply?

Lines 1 & 9 show that the total charge did not change (within the uncertainty). Run 2 is a

bit off, but it appears that there was some transfer of charge right at the beginning of the run. So

even if the total charge is not zero, it appears to be conserved.

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Analysis A2/A3:

White Disk Dark Disk White Disk Dark Disk

State Contact Contact Induction Induction

(V) (V) (V) (V)

1 Zero 0 0 0 0

2 Initial 23 -15 24 -30

3 After touch 25 -16 0 0

4 Disk out 20 -12 -25 30

1. What can you conclude from the data in the 2nd and 3rd columns (contact data) in the

table?

Touching the charge disk to the inner metal mesh does not change the total charge (within the

uncertainties), but much of the charge transfers to the metal mesh since it is still there after the

charge disk is removed. Note that the sign on the charge that is left is the same as for the charge

on the disk. All that has happened is some charge has transferred to the metal mesh. this is an

example of charge by contact.

2. Explain what is happening when you induce a charge on the inner mesh cylinder. That is,

explain the data in columns 3 & 4 of the table. Why does the sign change?

The white disk carries a positive charge. When we bridge from the outer cylinder to the

inner cylinder with a finger, electrons in the outer cylinder are attracted to the positive charge

of the white disk and move onto the inner cylinder. The voltage on the inner cylinder
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becomes the same as for the outer cylinder (electrometer voltage measures the difference

between inner and outer) so the measured voltage drops to zero. However, thisdoes not mean

the charge on the inner cylinder is zero. As we see when the white diskisremoved, the inner

cylinder has a charge equal to the charge on the white disk, but with the opposite sign.

Similar for the black dis with the signs reversed.

Theory B:

Charge Distribution on a Conducting Surface: charge will tend to concentrate at places on

a conductor where the surface is more sharply curved. This happens because charges do not

interact as strongly with other charges that are “over the horizon” since the electric field lines

cannot pass through a conductor.

Analysis B1:

Recall that the voltages recorded on Figure 3 are not the voltages on the sphere (the

sphere is at a uniform 3000 V). They are the voltages between the inner and outer mesh

cylinders with the proof plane inside the inner cylinder, which is directly proportional to the

charge on the proof plane. What can you conclude about the distribution of charge on the

sphere?

As one should expect since the sphere is symmetric, the charge is distributed evenly

across the surface of the sphere. There does appear to be slightly more charge at the bottom. This

is probably due to polarization of the plastic base. The positive charge (since the voltage is
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positive) on the sphere would make the upper part of the plastic base somewhat negative due to

polarization which would attract more positives to the bottom of the sphere.

Analysis B2:

Table III: Voltage vs. Charge on a Sphere

Sphere Potential Electrometer Reading

(V) (V)

1000 3.3

2000 6.4

3000 10.0

Recall that the electrometer voltages are the voltages between the inner and outer mesh

cylinders with the proof plane inside the inner cylinder, which is directly proportional to the

charge on the proof plane. What can you conclude about the charge on the sphere vs the electric

potential (voltage) of the sphere?

The voltage on the sphere is directly proportional to the charge on the sphere.
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Analysis B3:

What can you conclude about the distribution of charge on a non-spherical conductor?

The most sharply curved surface is at point B. The least curvature is at point C. Since the

electrometer voltages shown are proportional to the surface charge, it is clear that the surface

charge is greatest where the curvature is greatest (point B) and least where the curvature is least

(point C).

Analysis B4:

Electrometer Voltage
Sphere with Hole
(V)

1 Inside 0

2 Inside near hole 0

3 Outside 10

4 Inside again 0

5 Outside again 10

1. What does the data in the table tell you about the distribution of charge on a hollow

spherical shell?
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The charge appears to be all on the outside of the sphere. This is what is required if the

electric force obeys an inverse square law as discussed in the Theory B section. Students may see

a slightly higher voltage near the hole (on the inside) since the hole does affect the charge

distribution and allow some charge to move inside.

2. Explain what happened in line 4.

In this case we actually added some charge to the inside of the spherical shell. The charge

immediately moved to the outside, leaving none on the inside.

Summary:

The purpose of part A of this activity is to compare and contrast the results of three

different methods of charging:

(1) rubbing two objects together;

(2) touching a charged object to a neutral one (charging by contact); and

(3) grounding a neutral object while it is polarized (charging by induction).

Part A will also demonstrate the law of conservation of charge.

The purpose of part B of this activity is to investigate how charge distributes on the outer

surfaces of a spherical conductor and on the outer surface of a non-spherical conductor. The

charge distribution inside the spherical conductor will also be examined.