Names: _____________________________

EXPERIMENT NO. 12
Static Electricity

The ancient Greeks noted the fact that when certain substances were brought near
each other or rubbed against each other, they acquire the ability to attract light
objects, such as bits of cork, thread or paper. The philosopher Thales around 600 B.C.
observed that these effects were particularly strong in elektron, the Greek word for
amber.

The process of rubbing two materials together and then separating them to produce
the above effect is now called static electricity, or charging by contact/conduction.
The objects are said to be electrified or charged either positively or negatively by the
removal or addition of electrons respectively.

Objects can become charged by three main processes; Charging by Friction,

Induction, and Conduction.

Charing by Friction is when you have objects rub against each other and in doing so
the electrons of one object become close to the protons of another. If one of the
objects is stronger at pulling electrons (electron affinity) it can steal the electrons from
the other object as they rub. This tends to be seen with non-conductive objects like
plastics, carpet, clothes, etc.

Charging by Induction is when two conductive objects, such as two metal objects,
are touching. A third charged object is brought near the other two. The charged
object will pull (if positive) or push (if negative) charges from one of the two touching
conductive objects to the other. If the two objects are separated while their
electrons are pushed/pulled onto the other object the objects will stay charged. This
will happen as the electrons will be trapped on one object and missing from the other
once separated.

Charging by Conduction A charged object is brought to touch a conductive object.

As the object is conductive the excess charges will flow from on object onto the other.

Neutral objects can be attracted to other objects through a process called

Polarization. In polarization the total number of charges doesn’t change. However,
the electrons are pushed or pulled to one side of the object. This makes the side
where the electrons are pushed/pulled to become temporarily negative and the side
with the protons left in excess to be temporarily positive. The positive side will thus stick
to a negative object and the negative side will stick to positive objects. Once the
charge object is removed, the object returns to being a normal neutral object.

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Learning Objectives: 
At the end of the experiment, students should be able to
● determine the variables that affect how positive and negative objects interact.
● predict how positive and negative objects will interact
● observe the electrical forces of attraction and repulsion.

1. Discuss with your partner your ideas about why balloons would stick to things (like hair) after rubbing on your
head? And repel from each other?

Use words and pictures to describe your ideas about what might be going on.
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2. Let’s look at the PhET Balloons and Static Electricity simulation.

a. Explore the simulation.

How can you make the balloon stick to the sweater? To the wall?
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What makes it stick weakly versus strongly?
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b. Use two balloons. Rub the balloons into the sweater and place the balloons near each other in the
middle of the wall and sweater. What happened to the balloons? Explain why this happened.
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c. How do the plus or minus symbols help you decide whether something attracts or repels?
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d. Talk about how your observations support, change or add to your ideas from Question 1 and about
what affects whether things attract or repel.
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3. Google “PHET John Travoltage”
Or enter https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/john-
travoltage
Insure there is a ‘5’ in the bottom right corner. Press play.

1. Grab and move the hand, does anything

happen?
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2. Lift the hand/finger away from the door knob and

point it up. Grab and move the foot on the
carpet, what happens?
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3. Move the foot faster and faster, what happens?

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4. What charge is the person becoming? ______________________________________________________

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5. The more you rub the carpet the (stronger/weaker) the charge becomes.

6. Touch the door knob. What happens?

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7. What takes less time, building up the electrons in the person by rubbing, or discharging (losing) the
electrons when touching the door knob?
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8. Why do you think the electrons interact only on a single point on the body when this happens?
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9. How might the above two answers explain why a static shock may hurt a little? Explain in your own
words.
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CONCLUSION:
⮚ Conclusion must answer the following:
o When will attraction/repulsion of charges happen?
o What dictates the strength of attraction/repulsion?

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 o When charging happened, did the TOTAL number of charges ever change?
o What needs to happen for an object to have a negative/positive charge?

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