What is Static Electricity?

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What is Static Electricity?

• You walk across the rug, and reach for a
  doornobZAP! You get a shock
• Come inside from the cold pull off your
  hatBOING! All your hair stands on end. Why does
  this only happen in the winter?

STATIC ELECTRICITY
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Cartoon of the Day
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Static Electricity

• The result of a buildup or stealing of electrons.
• (a negative charge)

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First a little about the nature of Matter

• Imagine dividing a pure gold ring in half
• Keep one half and give the other away
• Divide your half again and give half away
• Keep doing this and eventually you wouldnt be
  able to divide it anymore
• GOLD ATOM

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Parts of an Atom

• In the center of each atom is a NUCLEUS
• Contains 2 particles
• PROTONS
• NEUTRONS
• Orbiting around the nucleus are smaller particles
  called ELECTRONS

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Atom

• Useful to think of the Atom as a solar system
• The Nucleus is like the sun
• The Electrons are like planets orbiting the sun
• Just like the Sun the Nucleus is large compared
  to the orbiting electrons

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Electrical Charges

• Protons, Electrons, Neutrons each have their own
  properties
• Electrons have a negative charge (-)
• Protons have a positive charge ()
• Neutrons have no charge or are neutral
• Protons have a charge that is exactly opposite
  and equal to that of Electrons

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Electrons can Move!

• Protons and Neutrons are held together very
  tightly in the Nucleus
• Some of the OUTER Electrons in atoms can move
  from one atom to the other
• Normally Atoms have no charge

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Electrons can Move!

• When an Atom receives extra electrons it GAINS
  MORE NEGATIVE CHARGES
• Thus becomes negative (-)
• When an Atom loses electrons it GAINS MORE
  POSITIVE CHARGES
• Thus becomes Positive ()

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• Charged particles exist in atoms.

• Electrons are responsible
• for negative charge
• protons for positive charge
• neutrons have no charge.

• Small amounts of ordinary matter contain
• incredible amounts of subatomic particles!

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Insulators

• Some materials hold very tightly to their
  electrons
• Electrons dont move very well through these
  materials Insulators

Insulator material through which charges will not
easily move
link
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Conductors

• Some materials have loosely held electrons
• Electrons move very well through these materials
  Conductors

Conductor material that allows charges to move
about easily
link
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Good Conductors Fair Conductors Insulators
Aluminum Silicon Amber
Copper Carbon Cotton
Gold Earth Ebonite
Iron Human Body Fur
Magnesium Humid Air Glass
Mercury Water (salty) Paper
Nickel Plastic
Platinum Porcelain
Silver Rubber
Tungsten Silk
Sulfer
Water (Pure
Wood
Wool
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Opposites Attract

• Positive and Negative Charges behave in
  interesting ways!
• Two things with opposite (positive and negative)
  charges will attract each other
• Two thing with similar charge (2 positive, or 2
  negative) will push each other away

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Charged objects

• Charged objects will also attract neutral objects
• Eg rubbing a balloon in your hair creates a
  charge on the balloon
• It will then be attracted to a neutral wall

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• So on a bad hair day all the hair on your head
  has the same charge and they all repel each other.

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Website of the Day

• See if you can determine what factors are
  required to create an electrical circuit.
• http//www.mhhe.com/physsci/physical/giambattista/
  circuits/circuits.html

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Bonus

1. What is the difference between Series and
   Parallel Circuits?
2. What is the Difference between AC and DC current
   electricity? (Alternating Current, Direct
   Current)
3. What is the Difference between Static and Current
   Electricity?