What is Static Electricity? You walk across the rug, and reach for a doornob…ZAP! You get a shock Come inside from the cold pull off your hat…BOING! All your hair stands on end. Why does this only happen in the winter? STATIC ELECTRICITY

Cartoon of the Day

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

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 wouldn’t be able to divide it anymore GOLD ATOM

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

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

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

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

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 (+)

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!

material through which charges will not easily move Insulators Some materials hold very tightly to their electrons Electrons don’t move very well through these materials = Insulators Insulator material through which charges will not easily move link

material that allows charges to move about easily 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

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

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

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

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

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

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