FRICTION,

CONDUCTION AND
INDUCTION
How do you charge an object?
• There are three ways to charge an object:

1. Charge by Friction
2. Charge by Conduction
3. Charge by Induction
How do you measure “charge”
• The unit of measure for electrical charge is the
Coulomb (C). In equations it is symbolized by a
“q”
• Eg: q = 900C

• One Coulomb is equal to the charge of 6.25 X 1018

electrons (-) or protons (+).

• That is to say, one Coulomb has 6.25 X 1018

electrons.
Charging Objects
• Most objects start out electrically neutral, but by
CHARGING an object you create an imbalance in the
number of electrons and protons; the object is then
charged and is either positive or negative.
• You can charge an object through:
• Friction – the transfer of electrons from one object to the other
• Conduction – by having two objects TOUCH each other and
transfer electrons from one object to the next.
• Induction – By inducing electrons to move from one object to the
other.
Charging by Friction
• When two neutral objects are rubbed against each other,
one object may pull electrons away from the other
creating one positive object and one negative object.
Electrostatic Series:
 All objects begin neutral & can become
positively or negatively charged

 A positively charged object has more

positives than negatives

 A negatively charged object has more

negatives than positives
 Electrostatic Series:
• Electrostatic series is a list that ranks objects’
ability to take negative charges

Rubber
Items at top
Ebonite
take negatives
Polyethylene
Cotton
Silk
Wool
Glass Items at bottom
Acetate lose negatives
Fur / Hair
 Items at top
take negatives

Your cat rubs against a rubber balloon. What will

be the charge on the balloon? Your cat’s fur?

Rubber
Rubber
Rubber balloon
Ebonite becomes
Polyethylene negative
Cotton
Silk
Wool Cat’s fur
Glass becomes
Acetate positive
Fur / /
Fur Hair
Hair Negatives
 Items at top
take negatives
In a lab, you take a piece of neutral wool & neutral
polyethylene & rub them together. What will be their
charges?

Rubber Polyethylene
Ebonite balloon
Polyethylene
Polyethylene becomes
Cotton negative
Silk
Wool
Wool Negatives
Wool
Glass
becomes
Acetate
Fur / Hair positive
 In a lab, you rub a piece of cotton &
ebonite together. Then you rub a piece
of silk & wool together.

You then bring the charged piece of

cotton & the charged piece of silk
together. What will happen?
Rubber
- Ebonite
Polyethylene Cotton is +
+ Cotton
- Silk Silk is -
They
Wool
+ Glass
would
Acetate ATTRACT
Fur / Hair
 You rub your hair with a balloon.
Explain using words & pictures, why
your hair “sticks up”.

1st Hair & balloon are _

+_ _
both neutral
+ +
2nd Rubber balloon takes
negative charges from the hair.
So, balloon becomes
negatively charged & hair
becomes positively charged _+ + _

3rd Since hair is positive &

like charges repel,
hair sticks up!!!
Charging by Conduction
• An object can be charged by touching it with another
object that already has a charge. The resulting object will
then have the same charge but weaker in strength than
the original object.
Charging by Conduction
• This image shows how a positive charged object
alters the charge on the globe via conduction.
Charging by Conduction
• This image shows how a negative charged object
alters the charge on the globe via conduction
Charging by Induction
• Objects do not touch (one is charged, one is neutral)
• Proximity of the charged object causes (induces) the
charges in the neutral object to separate.
Charging by Induction
• This image shows how a negative charged object
alters the charge on the globe via induction.
Charging by Induction
• This image shows how a positive charged object
alters the charge on the globe via induction.
• Two types of charges – positive (+) &
negative (-)
• “Opposites Attract”
• “Like Repel”
• Items at the top of the electrostatic series
list take negative charges
• Only negative charges move
• Three methods to charge an object:
friction, conduction, induction. These three
methods are what cause static
electricity.