Science Department

UNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL

PHYSICS

CHAPTER 16: STATIC ELECTRICITY

ANSWERS

Name: ______________________ ( ) Class: _________ Date: ________

Exercise 16A: Law of Electrostatics

1. Does a neutral body possess any charges? Explain your answer.

Yes. A neutral body possesses equal number of positive and negative charges.
___________________________________________________________________

2. What is the S.I. unit used to measure electric charge?

Coulomb.
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3. State the law of electrostatics.

Like charges repel, unlike charges attract.

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4. If you rub a polythene strip with a piece of cloth, the polythene becomes negatively
charged and the cloth becomes positively charged. Explain, in terms of electrons,
what happens to the polythene strip and what happens to the cloth.

The polythene strip has gained electrons and become negatively charged while the cloth
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has lost electrons and become positively charge.

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5. Complete the table below on the types of charges produced on different materials
by friction.
Materials Positive Charge Negative Charge
Perspex ruler rubbed with woolen duster Perspex Duster
Polythene strip rubbed with woolen duster Duster Polythene
Ebonite rod rubbed with fur Fur Ebonite

6. Two small objects have charges of +2 and +3 units. They exert a force of repulsion
of 0.01 N on each other. Five units of negative charges are then added to each
object.
(a) How many units of charges are there now on each object?
-3 and -2 respectively
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(b) Suggest, giving a reason, whether the forces on the objects would have
changed?
They exert the same force of repulsion of 0.01 N because the same magnitudes of
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like charges are on each object as before.

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Chapter 16: Chp16_PP_Static Electricity_WS_ANS 1

Science Department
7. The figure below shows a negatively charged polythene strip brought near a
suspended pith ball.

(a) If the pith ball moves away from the approaching polythene strip, what can you
conclude about the type of charge on the pith ball? Give a reason.
The pith ball is negatively charged since like charges repel.
______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

(b) If the pith ball moves towards the approaching polythene strip, can we
conclude that it is positively charged? Why?

No. The pith ball can be neutral (or uncharged) since an uncharged body can be
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attracted by induction.
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8. A student is given the following apparatus:

• 2 uncharged Perspex
• 2 uncharged polythene strips
• Woolen duster
• Thread to suspend a strip so that the strip is horizontal and free to move
Describe, with the help suitable diagrams, how the student can show that two
negatively charged insulators repel each other. (Note: The student need not use
all the apparatus provided above)

Rub two polythene strips with woolen duster and the strips become negatively charged
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Suspend one strip horizontally and bring the other near it.
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The suspended strip move away.

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Therefore 2 negatively charged insulators repel each other.

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Chapter 16: Chp16_PP_Static Electricity_WS_ANS 2

Science Department
9. X is a light metal ball suspended by a nylon thread. When a positively charged rod
is placed near it, X is attracted to the charged rod as shown the figure below.
What are the charges present on X?

+
+
+
+
X +
+
+
+
+

A Negative B Negative or neutral

C Positive D Positive or neutral ( B )

10. A piece of silk is rubbed with a glass rod. The silk becomes negatively charged
and the glass rod becomes positively charged. What has happened to the silk and
to the glass rod?

silk glass rod

A gains electrons gains protons

B gains electrons lose electrons
C loses protons gains protons
D loses protons loses electrons ( B )

11. Two plastic rods repel each other after they have been rubbed with a cloth.

(a) Suggest why the plastic rods repel each other.

They have the same charge and like charges repel.

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(b) A glass rod is then rubbed with a cloth. This glass rod then attracts the
plastic rods in (a). Suggest why this is so.

The glass rod has a opposite charge and unlike charges attract.
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Chapter 16: Chp16_PP_Static Electricity_WS_ANS 3

Science Department
12. A conducting sphere Y is suspended by a cotton string. It is placed between two
metal plates. One plate is earthed and the other is connected to a high-voltage
supply. Sphere Y is then displaced to the position shown in the figure below.

+
+
+
+
Y +
+
+
+
+ plate X

(a) Explain why sphere Y moves towards and touches plate X momentarily
when it is released.

This is because sphere Y is attracted to the positively charged plate X by

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induction.
____________________________________________________________

(b) Explain why sphere Y then moves away from plate X after touching it.

____________________________________________________________
Sphere Y becomes positively charged by plate X and is then repelled by plate X

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because it has the same charge.

Chapter 16: Chp16_PP_Static Electricity_WS_ANS 4

Science Department
UNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL
PHYSICS

CHAPTER 16: STATIC ELECTRICITY

ANSWERS

Name: ______________________ ( ) Class: _________ Date: ________

Exercise 16B: Electric Field

1. Draw the electric field lines on the diagrams below.

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

+ -

(iv)

+ +

Chapter 16: Chp16_PP_Static Electricity_WS_ANS 5

Science Department

(v)

- -

(vi)

+ + + + + + + + +

- - - - - - - - - - -

2. (a) What is an electric field?

A region where a charge experience an electric force.

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(b) The figure below shows a positive point charge.

X
positive
point
charge

(i) Draw in the electric field lines around the point charge.

(ii) Indicate on the diagram the direction the point charge will move if a
positive charge was placed at X.

(iii) What would happen if a larger positive charge was placed at X?

It experience a larger force in the same direction.
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Chapter 16: Chp16_PP_Static Electricity_WS_ANS 6

Science Department
3. Storm clouds contain electric charges. Water droplets that are carried up by air
currents will become charged. The diagram below shows a positively charged
cloud and two droplets of water.

+ + + + + +
cloud

water droplet
_
droplet 2 +
_
droplet 1 +

- - - - - - - - ground

(a) Draw lines of electric force to show the electric field between the cloud and the
ground. You may ignore the water droplet.

(b) The figure shows the charge distribution on the two droplets when they are in
the electric field between the cloud and the ground. Droplet 1 moves upwards
and briefly touches droplet 2.

(i) Explain what happens to the charges on the two droplets.

The negative charge (electron) at the top end of droplet 1 will move to
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neutralize the positive charge at the bottom end of droplet 2.
____________________________________________________________

(ii) Having touched, the droplets now separate. State what charges will now be
found on droplet 1 and droplet 2.

Positive
Droplet 1 ____________________________________________________

Negative
Droplet 2 ____________________________________________________

Chapter 16: Chp16_PP_Static Electricity_WS_ANS 7

Science Department
4. Electrostatic charges can be placed on objects by friction.

(a) State the name of the charged particle that is transferred from one object to
another in this process.

____________________________________________________________
Electron

(b) The figure below shows petrol being pumped into a can. Electrostatic
charges are seen building up on the petrol and the pipe.

+ +
+ +
+ +

_ _
_ _
_ _
_ _ _ _ _

(i) Explain why this is dangerous.

The build-up of charges may cause a spark which would ignite the
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petrol and cause a fire or explosion.

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(ii) State what can be done to stop the electrostatic charges from
building up in this way.

The pipe could be earthed by connecting it to a metal chain that leads

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to the ground.
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Chapter 16: Chp16_PP_Static Electricity_WS_ANS 8

Science Department
UNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL
PHYSICS

CHAPTER 16: STATIC ELECTRICITY

ANSWERS

Name: ______________________ ( ) Class: _________ Date: ________

Exercise 16C: Electrostatic Induction

1. Two metal spheres are mounted on portable insulating supports. A student is
given a glass rod and a piece of silk. Without allowing the glass rod or silk to
touch either sphere, describe, with the help of diagrams, how the student can
charge the two spheres with equal but opposite charge.

1. Rub the glass rod + -

-
+
+
+ - +
with the silk to get - +
the glass rod +
+
positively charged.
2. 3.

+ - + - +
- + - +
+ - + - +
- + - +
+
+
4. 5.

2. The figure below shows a negatively charged polythene strip brought near (but not
touching) an uncharged metal spheres.
-
- ++ -- +
- + -- + + +
- ++ - +
-

Diagram A Diagram B

(a) Indicate on diagram A the charge distribution (if any) on the metal sphere S

(b) With the strip remaining in position, the further end of the metal sphere S is
touched momentarily by a hand. Describe what happens.

On touching the sphere, the negative charges (electrons) on the sphere flow to
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the earth
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(c) The negatively charged strip is now removed. Indicate on diagram B to

show the final charge distribution.

Chapter 16: Chp16_PP_Static Electricity_WS_ANS 9

Science Department
3. An experiment to show charging by induction uses a metal sphere mounted on
insulated support. The sphere is initially uncharged and is shown in Fig 3.1.

+ -
+ -
+ -
+ -
- - - -

Fig 3.1 Fig 3.2

(a) A negatively charged rod is brought near the sphere, as shown in Fig 3.2.

(i) State and explain the movement of electrons in the sphere that
occurs as the rod is brought near.

The electrons are repelled by the negatively charged rod to the surface
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further away from the rod. This is because the electrons are negatively
_______________________________________________________

charged and like charges repel.

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(ii) On Fig 3.2, draw the charges on the metal sphere.

(b) The metal sphere is now touched at point A by a wire connected to the
earth, as shown in Fig 3.3. On Fig 3.3, draw charges on the metal sphere.

++ A
++
+++ Wire
------- connected to
the earth
Fig 3.3

(c) The wire connected to earth is removed. Then the negatively charged rod
is also removed, as shown in Fig 3.4. On Fig 3.4, draw the charges on the
metal sphere.

+ +
+ + +
+ +

Fig 3.4

(c) The support is made from an insulator. State one material that may be used to
make the support.

Rubber (Any suitable material that is a poor electrical conductor.)

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Chapter 16: Chp16_PP_Static Electricity_WS_ANS 10