Electrostatics

AP Physics 1

Mr. Kuffer

Unit 7 Electrostatics

Homework Outline

AP Physics 1

Mr. Kuffer

Due / Topic / Book
Section(s) / Assignment / Video(s)
Date / Class #
121 / Nature of Electrostatics / 18.1-18.4 / FOC: 1,2, 4
P: 1-6
128 / Coulomb’s Law / 18.5 / FOC: 8 P: 8-15
129 / Coulomb’s Law II / 18.5 / FOC: 9 P: 19-21, 23, & 24
130 / The Electric Field, Field Lines
& Shielding / 18.6
18.8 / FOC:
P: 29-34, 35, 37-39, 43& 44
131 / Electric Field & Capacitance / 18.6 / P: 36, 42, & 49
132 / Electric Potential Energy
Electric Potential Difference / 19.1
19.2 / FOC: 2, 4
P: 1-2, 5-7, 9-10
133 / Potent. Diff. Around a Point Charge
Equipotential Surfaces / 19.3
19.4 / FOC: 6, 9; P: 13, 14, 16
FOC: 11-12; P: 31, 35

I. Definition:
The word electrostatics comes from the Greek word “elektron" which means amber. The Greeks found that when an amber rock was rubbed, it was capable of picking up small particles or fibers. The word static, of course, means at rest.
II. Charges:
A positive charge means that the object has lost electrons and is no longer electrically neutral. Each electron lost gives the particle a charge of +1.6 x 10-19 coulombs. Positive, or vitreous, charges are classically created by rubbing a glass rod with silk. The rod becomes positive (loses electrons); the silk become negative (gains electrons). Since electric charge is conserved, the system (glass rod and silk) maintains a net charge of 0.
A negative charge means that the object has gained electrons. Each electron gained gives the particle a charge of -1.6 x 10-19 coulombs. Negative, or resinous, charges are classically created by rubbing a rubber rod with fur. The rod becomes negatively charged; the fur positively charged. By definition, negatively charged objects have more mass than an identical neutral object since each extra electron has a mass of 9.11 x 10-31 kg.
In mechanics our basic property of matter was MASS.
In electricity, our basic property is CHARGE.
Who named the two kinds of charge? ______(Famous American Scientist)
He thought that the positive charges were moving (the structure of the atom wasn’t really know yet), and designated the direction of the current to be with the flowing positive charges. Today, we know that current is flowing negative charges (e-). BUT, by convention, we still call the positive direction of current as with the flow of positive charges, so in reality, what the direction we designate as current is actually the opposite of how the charges are flowing. More on this in the next unit – Electricity.
Summary of Electromagnetic Charges
  1. What are some examples of static charge?
  1. Why do these examples occur?
  1. What does ‘static’ mean?
  1. What does an atom look like?
  1. All matter is made of atoms which are composed of negatively charged electrons (e-) whirling around a nucleus of positively charged protons and neutrons. What is the only atom that has no neutron?
  1. In mechanics the basic property was mass. In electricity, the basic property is ______.
  1. How do charges behave?
Like charges…
Opposite charges…
III. Models: Electroscope
Electrification by friction occurs when two surfaces are rubbed together. Examples of this were discussed above when a positive charge was created by rubbing glass with silk and a negative charge was created by rubbing rubber with fur. The following list details a larger portion of the triboelectric sequence. When any two substances shown in this list are rubbed together, the top one will become positively charged while the lower one will become negatively charged. The further apart the two substances are in the list, the greater the electrification.
+
- / Asbestos
Fur (rabbit)
Glass
Mica
Wool
Quartz
Fur (cat)
Lead
Silk
Human skin, Aluminum
Cotton
Wood
Amber
Copper, Brass
Rubber
Sulfur
Celluloid
India rubber
Charging by conduction means that the charging rod actually touches the electroscope’s knob. Since there is contact, electrons from the knob would flow onto a positive rod or off of a negative rod. Charging by conduction leaves the electroscope with a residual charge IDENTICAL to that of the charging rod.

Charging by induction means that the charging rod is brought close to the electroscope’s knob but NEVER touches it. If the electroscope is not grounded, it will remain neutral but be temporarily polarized while the charging rod is in the immediate vicinity. That is, a positive rod will induce the electrons in the scope to migrate to the knob. This redistribution of charge will result in the leaves of the scope being positively charged.
  1. The atom

All matter is made of atoms. These atoms are composed of negatively charges electrons (e-) that revolve around a positively charged nucleus (p+ and no).

Why don’t protons pull electrons into the nucleus?

Why don’t protons repel each other in the nucleus?

Electrons and protons have equal but opposite charges. Normal atoms have exactly enough electrons to balance the protons in the nucleus, leaving the atom with a net charge that is neutral.

Under certain circumstances electrons may be removed from an atom. When this happens the atom becomes positively charged. A positively charged ION is the result. A charged atom is called an ion.

  1. Materials
  1. Conductors – electric charges move easily through this material, most commonly a metal.
  2. Reason – Metal have valence electrons (e- that are less tightly bound to the atom). Therefore they are more likely to be “stolen” by other atoms.
  1. Insulators – electric charges are not easily transferred or moved.
  2. Reason – Insulators don’t have these free electrons (e- that are less tightly bound to the atom). Therefore they are not likely to be “stolen” by other atoms.
  1. How are charges accumulated on an object? (Use the three models)
  1. Friction – As two objects are rubbed against each other, e-’s are scraped off one object and deposited on the other.

Examples:

Balloon –

Rods –

Rub glass with a plastic transparency and e- ‘s leave the glass.

What is the net charge on the glass rod?

Rub a plastic ruler with fur and e- ‘s collect on the plastic.

What is the net charge on the ruler?

Other Examples:

When an object is positively charged, it has an excess of p+’s. It has billions of charged particles overall, but an excess of one type, if it is charged.

  1. Contact - Electrons can flow from one material to another when they are in contact (touching). The object you touch obtains the SAME CHARGE as the object with which it was in contact.

Examples:

Rods and pith balls. Once they touch, they transfer the charge. Draw it.

  1. Induction –A neutral object can become charged just by holding it close to a charged object.

Examples:

  1. Electroscope:
  1. Gold Leaf electroscope:
  1. Charging Spheres:
  1. Pith balls and charge induction by grounding:
  1. Balloon and paper:

Pie Tin demonstration:

When you get SHOCKED, the excess charges are DISCHARGING. That means electrons are leaving the object through the air between you and the other object.

Allowing charges to move on or off of a conductor by touching it is called GROUNDING.

How can neutral objects become charged?

When the object is near a charged surface, the atoms rearrange themselves so the charges line up in one particular direction. This is called polarization. The object is then said to be POLARIZED. Charges are induced temporarily by aligning p+’s on one side and e-‘s on the other.

Suppose the positive rod is brought near to an insulator (as shown in the diagram above), for example, a piece of paper or a section of a wall. Since electrons are not free to move within an insulator, another process takes place which still results in the paper or wall becoming polarized. The particles in the insulator realign themselves - presenting an oppositely charged layer towards the charged rod. This process is illustrated below.

/ positively charged rod
top surface "-"
polarized molecules
within the insulator
bottom surface "+"

Methods of Charging Lab

Part I. Rub the ruler with the fur.

  1. In doing this, the ruler becomes ______charged. Why?
  1. This process is called charging by ______.

Part II. Bring the ruler near (but not touching) the electroscope.

  1. Draw a picture of what you see happen to the electroscope:
  1. Why does the electroscope react in this way?
  1. Show the distribution of charges on your drawing by using + and - symbols.
  1. This process is called charging by ______.

Part III. While still holding the ruler near the electroscope, touch your finger to the top of the electroscope and hold it there.

  1. Describe what you see happen to the electroscope.
  1. Why does this happen?

Part IV. Remove your finger and then remove the ruler (in that order).

  1. Draw a picture of what you see happen to the electroscope:
  1. Why does the electroscope react in this way?
  1. Show the distribution of charges on your drawing by using + and - symbols.
  1. The electroscope is left with a ______charge.
  1. This process of charging is called ______.

Electrostatic Charging

  1. Do plastic/rubber objects pick up or give up electrons?
  1. How then do plastic/rubber objects get charged?

(positive or negative)

  1. Does hair pick up or give up electrons?
  1. How then does hair get charged?

(positive or negative)

  1. What does GROUNDING mean?

Rules of electrostatics

  1. Opposite charges attract, likes repel.
  2. Conservation of charge: charge cannot be created or destroyed.
  3. The electrons are the ones doing the moving.

WATER

1. Does water detect charge?

How can you tell?

2. Why is static electricity more “active” during dry weather?

When the air is humid, the water molecules discharge the electrostatic charges so they don’t stay on the object as long as if the air were dry. That’s why these demos work best this time of year.

Another important factor in electrostatics is humidity. If it is very humid, the charge imbalance will not remain for a useful amount of time. Remember that humidity is the measure of moisture in the air. If the humidity is high, the moisture coats the surface of the material, providing a low-resistance path for electron flow. This path allows the charges to "recombine" and thus neutralize (discharge) the charge imbalance. Likewise, if it is very dry, a charge can build up to extraordinary levels, up to tens of thousands of volts!

Think about the shock you get on a dry winter day. Depending on the type of sole your shoes have and the material of the floor you walk on, you can build up enough voltage to cause the charge to jump to the door knob, thus leaving you neutral.

Coulomb’s Law

Coulomb’s Law describes the force between two charged objects. The magnitude of the force that a tiny sphere with charge q1 and a second charge q2, separated by a distance is

Each charged object exerts a force that is ______on the other charged object.

The unit of charge is defined in terms of the amount of force it produces. Charge is measured in Coulomb’s (imagine that), abbreviated C.

One Coulomb = the charge of ______electrons.

Charge of a lightning bolt = ______.

Charge of an individual electron = ______and is called ______.

Example Problem: Show work below!

What is the electric force between 2 charges that are each 1 C and are separated by 1 m?

Coulomb’s Law Problems

  1. A plastic ball has a charge of +10-12 C.
  2. Does it have an excess or a deficiency of electrons compared with its normal state of electrical neutrality?
  3. How many such electrons are involved?
  1. What is the magnitude and direction of the force on a charge of +4 x 10-9 C that is 5 cm from a charge of +5 x 10-8 C?
  1. Two charges, one of +5 x 10-7 C and the other of -2 x 10-7 C, attract each other with a force of 100N. How far apart are they?
  1. A negative charge of -2 x 10-4 C and a positive charge of +8.0 x 10-4 C are separated by 0.3 m. What is the force between the two charges?
  1. A test charge of +1 x 10-6 C is placed half way between a charge of +5 x 10-6 C and a charge of +3 x 10-6 C that are 20 cm apart. Find the magnitude and direction of the force on the test charge.

Answers:

1) a) deficiency b) 6.25 x 106 electrons2) F = 7.2 x 10-4 N away from the +5 x 10-8 C

3) 3 x 10-3 m4) 1.6 x 104 C5) F = 1.8 N, acting toward the +3 x 10-6 C charge

The Electric Field

Charges alter the space around them. Call this an electric field. The electric field extends outward from every charge. A second charge in the field will react because it feels a force due to the field created.

Take a point charge, Q. A field surrounds it. Draw lines, but no arrows to represent the field. It alters all the space around it; lines are just representative of the field.

To determine the field exerted by Q  place a test charge in the field.

Test charge is positive, and so small that the force the test charge exerts does not change the distribution of the charge creating the field (much like a small mass at the surface of the Earth does not change the gravitational field of the Earth).

The field lines are always directed to show how the force a positive charge would feel in the space. Take + Q, and test charges a, b, and c.

Define the field by what force – magnitude and direction - the tiny positive test charge feels. The further away, the weaker the force (Coulomb’s Law).

“E” is a vector; it has magnitude and direction.

Also, by substitution:

E = = kQ/d2(test charge cancels out)

______

Draw the following electric fields:

  1. E near a single negative point charge.

______

  1. E between + and - charges.
  1. E between to + point charges:

Matching and Definitions:

1. Test Charge / A. Indicate the direction of the field
2. Electric Field, “E” / B. Force produced by charges and acting of charges.
3. Electric Force / C. Condition of space created by the presence of charge.
4. Electric Field Lines / D. Small positive charges used to measure the intensity and direction of an electric field.
5. All masses are surrounded by / E. 1.6 x 10-19 C
6. All charges are surrounded by / F. a gravitational field
7. Charge on 1 electron (or proton) / G. 6.24 x 1018 charged particles (electrons or protons)
8. 1 Coulomb = / H. An electric Field.

Problem Solving Examples:

  1. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the electric field at point P which is 30 cm to the right of point charge Q = -3.0 x 10-6 C.
  1. Same as number 1 (above) only make Q positive.

Practice Problems:

  1. A negative charge of 2.0 x 10-8 C experiences a force of 0.060 N to the right in an electric field. What are the field magnitude and direction?
  1. A positive test chare of 5.0 x 10-4 C is in an electric field that exerts a force of 2.5 x 10-4 N on it. What is the magnitude of the electric field at the location of the test charge?
  1. Suppose the electric field in problem 2 was caused by a point charge. The test charge is moved to a distance twice as far from the charge. What is the magnitude of the force that the field exerts on the test charge now?
  1. You are probing the field of a charge of unknown magnitude and sign. You first map the field with a 1.0 x 10-6 C test charge, then repeat your work with a 2.0 x 10-6 C test charge.
  2. Would you measure the same forces with the two test charges? Explain.
  1. Would you find the same fields? Explain.



Lab: Balloons acting as an Electroscope

Honors Physics Mr. Kuffer

Prep:

Measure the mass of a balloon. Blow up two balloons and attach then to two lengths of string. Suspended at the same height so they will hang slightly apart in still air, refer to figure 1. When suspended, the balloons will act as a simple electroscope to detect the presence of electrostatic charge. For best results, perform electrostatic experiments in dry air.

Figure 1: A representation of the suspended balloons

Activity:

  1. Hold the fur near one of the suspended balloons and look for any interaction between them.
  1. Stroke both balloons with the fur. The balloons gain negative charges from the fur and become negatively charge, while the fur becomes positively charged.
  1. Bring the two negatively charged balloons close together and observe the interaction. Objects with similar charges repel each other. Hold the fur near one of the balloons. Objects with opposite charges attract each other.
  1. Using a protractor measure the angle between the two strings, once the balloons settle. Determine the force of balloon A on balloon B.
  1. Measure the distance between the two balloons.
  1. Use this force in combination with the distance you measured above to determine the net charge on each of the balloons, assuming that the balloons carry identical charges. To do this you will have to identify the relationships that exist between the Force between the balloons, the Distance that separates the balloons, and Charge of the balloons.
  1. List your mathematical relationship below.
  1. Share your mathematical relationship with Mr. Kuffer before continuing the lab.
  1. Stroke the glass rod with the piece of silk. Stroke the plastic rod with the piece of flannel. Determine the charges of each of the materials by holding them, one at a time near a negatively charged balloon. It may be necessary to renew the charge on the balloon by rubbing it again with the fur. The balloon serves as a reference: objects that attract it are positively charged, while objects that repel it are negatively charged.
  1. In your lab notebook, using a data table like the one below, determine the charges of the marked materials(*) after being rubbed with the materials in the first column. Record your results with a +/- symbol, indicating its charge.

Glass rod* / Plastic rod* / Rubber rod*
Fur
Silk
Flannel