Electrostatics

• The study of charges at rest.

• Movement of charges when occur is

transient (time of movement is of few
milliseconds).

• The final state – charges remain

stationary.
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• Facts you already know:
• Charges are either positive or negative
• Like charges repel, unlike charges attract
• Charged objects will always attract
uncharged objects
• Charges responsible for electrical
conduction:
• Electrons – for metals
• Electrons and holes – for semi-conductors
• Positive and negative ions – electrolyte
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• Conductors - materials with a large
number of “free” electrons. These free
electrons move (transient movement) in
the presence of a charged object nearby
• Examples: All metals and mercury
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• Insulators - have electrons but they are not “free”
to move around. However they can be displaced
within the atoms in the presence of a charged
object.
• Examples: rubber, polythene, perspex, plastic,
glass
 Physics Laws
• Quantization of charge - total amount of
charge carried by a charged body must be
an integer multiple of the charge of an
electron (Physics Concept)

• The smallest amount of charge possible is

the charge of an electron, e.

• This value of e is 1.6 x 10-19 C

• (C = coulomb)
 Physics Laws
• This means the amount of charge, Q, that
can be acquired by a body is always = N x e
• Q = N x e, where N is an integer which can
be 1,2,3,…,.

• Mathematical expression of a charge Q:

• Q = Ne
• where N = 1,2,3,…, and e = 1.6 x 10-19
 Physics Laws
• Conservation of charge - the net amount of
charge produce is the same.
• An atom in its normal state is electrically
neutral - that is there are same amount of
positive and negative charges in an
electrically neutral atom.
• So when a solid is charged, there is a
transfer of electrons from one solid to the
other. The net amount of charge produce is
the same.
 Method of charging a solid
• 1 Charging by Friction (rubbing) - for
insulator
Action Negative Positive
charge charge
Plastic plastic fur
rubbed
with fur
Ebonite ebonite fur
rubbed
with fur
Polythene polythene wool
rubbed
with wool
 Action Positive Negative
charge charge
Glass rod Glass rod Silk
rubbed
with silk
Cellulose Cellulose silk
acetate acetate
rubbed
with silk

Note: The charges are localised because the

objects are insulators
 • 2 Charging by Induction - for metal
• This is done through the following steps:
Step 1 Separation of charges occurs on
the surface of the conductor

Charged object brought

near but not touching the Insulating stand
conductor
 Step 2 Momentary flow of electrons from
the conductor to earth

Charged object brought Earth the

near but not touching the conductor
conductor
Step 3

Remove
the earth
Charged object
brought near but not
touching the conductor
 Step 4

Conductor
becomes
positively
Remove the charged
charged
object
 Note:
• For charging by induction, the charge
acquired by the conductor is opposite to
that of the object used to charged the
conductor
• Assignment:
• Describe how you charge a conductor
negatively by induction by drawing a
series of diagrams same as these.
• 3 Charging by Conduction - for metals
Step 1 Separation of charges occurs on
the surface of the conductor

Charged object
brought near and
touching the conductor
 Momentary flow of electrons from
Step 2 charged object to conductor to
neutralise the positive charges on
the conductor

Charged object touches

the conductor
 Conductor finally
becomes negatively
Step 3
charged

Charged object touches

the conductor
Step 4

Remove the charged

object
 Note:
• In charging by the conduction, the
charged object and the conductor
have the same kind of charge. It is
the direct transfer of charge from the
charged object to the conductor.

• The total amount of charge remains

the same.