Physics 30 Lesson 26 Electrostatics

In lessons 24 and 25 we learned about work, energy, and the principle of conservation.
Now we turn our attention to electricity and magnetism. A carryover idea which will be
used e!tensively, in fact throughout the course, is the idea of conservation.
"onservation of different #uantities is one of the most important principles in science.
In this lesson we shall discuss the properties of static $not moving% electric charges. In
future lessons we will learn about dynamic $moving% electric charges which is called
current electricity.
I. Historical background for electricity and magnetism
(otional!
1) Amber is a semitransparent solid $yellow or brown% which is fossili&ed sap that
oo&ed from softwood trees in the distant past. In '(( )", *hales recogni&ed that it
had a property of attraction if rubbed vigorously against a cloth. *his is the first
recorded evidence of electrostatic attraction.
2) +odestone is a mineral $we call magnetite% that has a chemical formula of ,e
-
.
4
. It
has the unusual property of attracting iron. /hen suspended or floated in a li#uid it
will always turn to one particular $North0outh% orientation. It was used as a
compass by the 1ikings and the "hinese.
3) 2ffluvium *heory. +ucretius was the first scientist to attempt an e!planation of the
attractive properties of both amber and lodestone. 3e suggested that the amber
and lodestone had an efflu! $or flowing out% of minute particles that would capture
other small ob4ects on their way back to the lodestone or amber. +ucretius did not
attempt to distinguish between the type of attraction or take into account that amber
and lodestone did not attract the same materials.
4) de Magnete. 0ir /illiam 5ilbert $6544 6'(-% was the chief physician to 7ueen
2li&abeth I of 2ngland. 3e was also a scientist and, since 7ueen 2li&abeth was
very healthy, he had lots of time to work on his scientific ideas. 3e published his
work in a document called 8de 9agnete: in the year 6'((.
In de Magnete, 5ilbert advanced the idea that the earth had a magnetic field. 3e
reasoned that if small pieces of lodestone always line up the same way on a larger
piece of lodestone and that they also align themselves in one direction with respect
to the earth, then the earth must be a 5IAN* lodestone.
In de 9agnete, 5ilbert also attempted to draw a distinction between the properties
of lodestone and amber $in other words, a distinction between electric and magnetic
attraction%. 5ilbert introduced the term electric to describe bodies that attract the
way amber does. *he word ;electric< comes from ;electron< which is the 5reek word
for amber. 5ilbert categori&ed the properties as=
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electric $i.e., amber% lodestone $magnetic%
i% attracts only when rubbed i% always attracts
ii% attracts small particles of most
ob4ects
ii% attracts only iron or other ferromagnetic
materials
iii% attracts from one center of attraction iii% attracts from two centers $poles% of
attraction
iv% only e!amples of attraction e!isted $in
6'4', 0ir *homas )rowne found
e!amples of electric repulsion%
iv% attraction and repulsion had been
observed
0ir /illiam 5ilbert was the first scientist to distinguish between electric and
magnetic fields.
II. Electrostatics " Early ideas (otional!
*hales $'(( )"% discovered that if substances like amber are rubbed with a piece of
cloth, they can pick up little shreds of cloth or other small pieces of matter.
5ilbert $6'(( A>% showed that many substances can be electrified by rubbing and
as a result they can attract small bits of matter.
6. )en4amin ,ranklin<s .ne ,luid *heory
)en ,ranklin $6?(' 6?@(% proposed that substances became charged because of
a transfer of electric fluid when they were rubbed against each other. 3e reasoned
that an excess of the electric fluid would result in a positive charge, while a lack of
the fluid would result in a negative charge. 3e also believed that the fluid was
composed of tiny $invisible to the eye% particles.
2. >ufay<s *wo ,luid *heory.
>ufay, a ,rench scientist $6?(( A>% proposed that substances were composed of
two different types of electric fluid. A positive fluid and a negative fluid. Neutral
ob4ects would contain e#ual amounts of each fluid and friction would cause an
e!cess of one or the other fluid to accumulate on the ob4ect.
It is interesting to note that at the time of ,ranklin and >ufay, scientists like
+agrange, 2uler and )ernoulli were developing theories about fluid flow,
pressureAforce relations, and hydraulics. *heir theories were so successful it
seemed a logical step to e!tend the theories into e!plaining electricity and
magnetism. 3owever, the later work of ,araday, 3enry and others tended to
support theories based on the motions of particles rather than fluids.
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III. Electrostatics " #odern $heory
*oday we find that both one fluid and two fluid theory models had merits. *oday, we
consider that all matter is composed of atoms and, in turn, the building blocks for each
atom are protons and neutrons within the nucleus, and electrons outside of the
nucleus. Protons are positive and electrons are negative and neutral objects have
equal amounts of each. In that sense, >ufay was correct. 3owever, only electrons are
transferred in the process of rubbing, so in that sense ,ranklin was correct.
+aw of "harges
Like charges repel and unlike charges attract. ,or e!ample, when a rubber rod is
rubbed with fur, the rubber rod becomes negative $received electrons% and the fur
becomes positive $lost electrons%. /hen a glass rod is rubbed with silk, the glass rod
becomes positive $lost electrons% and the silk becomes negative $received electrons%.
*he glass rod $B% and the rubber rod $% have different charges and are attracted to
each other.
"onservation of "harge
/hen a neutral rubber rod is rubbed with a neutral piece of fur, the negative charge
produced on the rod is numerically the same as the positive charge produced on the
fur. *he rod gained as many electrons as the fur lost. *he net charge before rubbing
the two together was &ero and the net charge after adding the rubber to the fur will also
be &ero. In this closed system the net charge stays the same or, in other words, charge
is conserved.
9easuring "harge
*he unit for charge is the %oulomb $"% and the symbol for charge is &. A "oulomb $"%
of positive charge is e#ual to the combined charge of '.25 ! 6(
6C
protons. 0ince a
proton cancels an electron, a coulomb of negative charge is e#ual to the combined
charge of '.25 ! 6(
6C
electrons.
*he charge on one electron is= #
e
D "6.' ! 6(
6@
".
*he charge on one proton is= #
p
D B6.' ! 6(
6@
".
*he number 6.' ! 6(
6@
is called the elementary charge. *his is the smallest unit of
charge that e!ists in the largescale universe. All charges on ob4ects are, in reality,
whole number multiples of this number.
i.
/hat is the charge on an ob4ect that has ?5( e!cess electrons on its surfaceE
# D ?5( e

$F6.' ! 6(
6@
"Ae

% D ' (.2 ) (0
'(6
%
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>istribution of "harges
All substances will allow electric charges to flow over or through them with different
degrees of ease. Conductors are materials which allow electricity to flow easily through
them $metals, ionic solutions, etc.% Insulators do not allow electricity to flow very easily
$wood, plastics, glass, etc.% *he terms conductor and insulator are relative, since some
metals are better conductors than others, while some materials insulate better than
others.
0ince like charges repel each other, charged particles on an ob4ect will try to move as
far away from one another as possible. If the charges are on a conductor they are
relatively free to move away from one another. If the charges are on an insulator $fur,
plastic, ebonite rod, glass rod% the charges cannot easily move away from one another
and are therefore forced to remain in close pro!imity to one another.
I*. %harging ob+ects
%harging ,y -riction (%onduction!
0ome substances ac#uire an electric charge when rubbed with another substance. ,or
e!ample, an ebonite rod becomes negatively charged when rubbed with fur. /e can
e!plain this phenomenon with the help of the model of the electrical structure of matter.
An atom holds on to its electrons by the force of electrical attraction to its positively
charged nucleus. 0ome atoms e!ert stronger forces of attraction on their electrons
than others. /hen ebonite and fur are rubbed together, some of the electrons from the
fur are GcapturedG by the atoms of the ebonite, which e!ert stronger forces of attraction
on them than do the atoms making up the fur. *hus, after rubbing, the ebonite has an
e!cess of electrons and the fur has a deficit. /e call this charging by conduction,
which implies physical contact is made between the ob4ects.
*he same e!planation holds for many other pairs of substances, such as glass and silk.
*he electrostatic series table below lists many of the substances that can be charged
by friction. If two substances in the table are rubbed together, the substance that is
2' 4

Negatively charged
metallic sphere

Negatively charged plastic
rod
.n a conductor, the electrons
are free to move as far away
from one another as possible.
.n an insulator, the electrons
are forced to stay at one end of
the rod since they are not free
to flow to the uncharged end.
higher in the table becomes negatively charged, while the other substance becomes
positively charged.
Electrostatic Series
hold on to electrons tightly
sulphur
brass
copper
ebonite
paraffin wa!
silk
lead
fur
wool
glass
B hold on to electrons loosely
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Electric %harge . $he $ransfer of Electric %harge
/cti0ity
Part / Pre'in0estigation hand'in assignment
Answer the following #uestions=
6. 0tate the +aw of 2lectric "harges.
2. /hat is the +aw of "onservation of "hargeE
-. If an ob4ect is electrically charged, what is this a result ofE /hich charges are
relatively free to move and which are not free to move in a solid substanceE
4. /hat is the difference between a conductor and an insulatorE
5. .ne can transfer electrons from one ob4ect to another through friction by rubbing
the two ob4ects together. ,or each of the following pairs of materials that are
rubbed together, state which material will become positively charged and which
will become negatively charged=
brass HHHH and paraffin wa! HHHH
wool HHHH and glass HHHH
wool HHHH and lead HHHH
paraffin wa! HHHH and ebonite HHHH
ebonite HHHH and fur HHHH
glass HHHH and silk HHHH
'. If electrons are removed from an ob4ect it will have a net HHHHHHHHHHH charge. If
electrons are added to an ob4ect it will have a net HHHHHHHHHHH charge.
?. *wo identical metal spheres have different charges. .ne has a charge of B6( "
and the other has a charge of F2( ". If the spheres are allowed to touch each
other for a time and then are moved away from each other, what is the final
charge on each sphereE 2!plain.
2' '
Part , In0estigations
Ilease read the following instructions carefully=
In groups of two conduct the following investigations with the materials provided.
>o the lab work together as a group and then discuss the 7uestions together.
2ach member of the group should write the answers to the 7uestions for each of
the investigations.
>raw good diagrams, e!plaining what they mean.
Jemember, every member of the group is responsible for the knowledge gained in
these labs.
2n4oy yourselves and do not hesitate to ask for assistance $i.e. electrostatics is a
black art%KK
In0estigation ( Induced %harge 1earation
Iroblem=
3ow can a charged ob4ect cause charges on a nearby neutral ob4ect to moveE
9aterials=
9etre stick ebonite rod L fur $negative charge%
5lass lens acetate L paper towel $positive charge%
Note= 2!periments with charged ob4ects work best on cool, dry days. /arm humid air,
contains many positive and negative ions. If such air comes into contact with a
charged ob4ect, the ions in the air will neutrali&e the charged ob4ect by contact. Also,
moisture gets on charged surfaces and creates discharge paths. If your ob4ect seems
to be GleakingG its charge, this may be due to the humidity of the surrounding air.
Irocedure=
6. Ilace the edge of the metre stick on the glass lens so that it is balanced. *ouch
the metre stick with your finger to neutrali&e it. Jub the ebonite rod with the fur
and bring it close to the one end of the metre stick. "arefully observe the motion
of the metre stick. >o not let the rod touch the metre stick.
2. Jepeat the procedure using the acetate strip rubbed with a paper towel.
7uestions=
6. As the charged ebonite rod was brought near the metre stick, which way did the
metre stick begin to moveE /hyE >raw a sketch to show the metre stick, with the
charged rod near it, and the effect of the rod on the positive and negative charges
on the neutral metre stick.
2. /hich way does the metre stick move when the charged acetate strip is brought
close to itE /hyE >raw another sketch showing the new distribution of charge on
the neutral metre stick.
-. /hat happens to the metre when the charged rods are removedE /hyE /hat is
the net charge on the metre stickE
2' ?
4. /hy does touching an ob4ect with your hand ensure that it is neutralE )e sure
your e!planation covers both cases= when the ob4ect has an e!cess of electrons,
as well as when it has a deficit. /hen a nearby charged ob4ect causes a change
in the distribution of charge on a neutral ob4ect, it is called an induced charge
separation. Is it possible to create an induced charge separation on an insulatorE
.n a conductorE 2!plain your answers.
In0estigation 2 Induced %harge 1earation Part 2
Iroblem=
"an a charged ob4ect cause a stream of water moveE
9aterials=
ebonite rod and fur
faucet and sink
Irocedure=
6. Jub the ebonite rod with the fur to give a charge $negative charge%. *urn on the
faucet so that a small stream of water is flowing.
2. 9ove the rod close to the stream of water and observe.
7uestions=
6. /hich way did the stream of water moveE /hich way did the electrons in the
water moveE
In0estigation 3 2ancing aer
Iroblem=
/hy are small pieces of paper attracted to a charged rodE
9aterials=
- or 4 small slips of paper $(.5 cm ! 6.( cm% ebonite rod and fur
Irocedure=
6. Ilace the slips of paper on a table. "harge the rod and then place it over the bits
of paper. Note what happens.
7uestions=
6. Msing diagrams, e!plain why the slips of paper were attracted to the charged rod.
2. /hy do the slips of paper stick to the ebonite rod rather than being repulsed by
the ebonite rod after contactE
$,or this #uestion, it is wise to check your answer with your teacher.%
In0estigation 3 *an 2er 4raaf 4enerator
2' C
Iroblem=
3ow does a 1an >er 5raaf 5enerator workE
9aterials=
ebonite rod and fur
faucet and sink
Irocedure=
6. )efore turning on the generator, carefully lift the metallic bulb and observe the
apparatus. Nou should see an acrylic belt, that will rub against metal teeth. *he
friction will cause electrons to be transferred from the belt to the metal bulb.
Jeplace the metal bulb.
2. *urn on the generator and wait appro!imately 65 seconds. *ouch the metal bulb
with a finger and observe the transfer of electrons from the bulb to you.
Oust before contact is made between you and the generator, you
may have observed a small spark composed of Goveran!iousG electrons.
-. Ilace a hand on the metal bulb and leave it there for appro!imately 65 seconds
while the generator is running. /ithout removing your hand, touch a metal
ob4ect with your other hand. 0ee #uestion 6.
4. Ilace a small amount of paper circles on the generator while it is running. 0ee
#uestion 2.
7uestions=
6. >escribe the flow of electrons when your hand was placed on the gernator and
you touched a metal ob4ect with your other hand. /hat was your net charge
prior to touching the metal ob4ectE
2. 2!plain why the paper was originally attracted to the generator, and then
repulsed a few seconds later.
2' @