static electricity Flashcards
what happens when insulating materials are rubbed against each other?
they can become electrically charged
what does the friction move?
it moves negatively charged electrons from one material to another
what happens to the object that gains electrons?
it becomes negatively charged
what happens to the object that loses electrons?
it becomes positively charged
why does the charge remain on an object?
the materials are insulators
why doesn’t the charge remain on conductors?
they conduct the charge to earth - so it cannot build up
what is an isolated object?
an object that has no conducting path to earth
what happens when the charge on an isolated object increases?
the potential difference between the object and earth increases.
what can happen when the potential difference becomes high enough?
a spark may jump across the gap - from the object to any earthed conductor near it
what does the spark do?
it discharges the charged object - may be felt as an electric shock
what are electrostatic forces?
non-contact forces - forces of attraction or repulsion
what can happen if a charged object is brought near an uncharged object?
it can attract it
what happens when both objects carry the same charge?
they repel
what happens when both objects carry opposite charges?
they attract
what does a charged object create around itself?
an electric field
