What is going on here?

STATIC ELECTRICITY

Atoms-Microscopic particles that make up everything. We must define an atom before we can talk about electricity. Atoms-Microscopic particles that make up everything.

What makes up an atom? -Nucleus -Proton -Neutron -Electron

-The nucleus is in the center of the atom -The nucleus is in the center of the atom. It hold the protons and neutrons. -The protons are very tiny particles in the nucleus. -The neutrons are very tiny particles also in the nucleus. -The electrons are even tinier particles that orbit around the outside of the nucleus.

Electrical Charges Each part of the atom has its own charge. -Protons have a positive charge (+) -Neutrons have a neutral charge or no charge (0) -Electrons have a negative charge (-)

Quick Review Where are the protons located in the atom? Where are the electrons located in the atom? What is the charge of the proton? The electron?

Charged Atoms Usually an atom has an equal amount of protons and electrons. They have the same amount of strength, so they cancel each other out leaving the atom with no charge.

However… Because electrons are allowed to move freely, they can move from atom to atom changing the electrical charge. - An atom that lost electrons has more protons giving it a positive charge. -An atom that gained electrons has more electrons giving it a negative charge.

What is the charge of the atom? Quick Review What is the charge of the atom?

Static Electricity We can get electrons to move by rubbing materials together. -Static Electricity is when charges are separated because of the movement of electrons.

Attraction or Repulsion Atoms with opposite charges attract each other. -Attract-Pull towards each other. Atoms with the same charge repel each other. -Repel-Push away from each other.

So what is with the hair? When you take off your hat, the hat’s material rubs against your hair taking it’s electrons. Now each strand of hair has a positive charge. The same charge makes them repel each other therefore stand on end and separate.

What about the zap? When you walk across a carpet the electrons leave the carpet and move to you. Your atoms now have a negative charge and when you touch something, the electrons jump from you to that object and you feel the zap!

Can you demonstrate static electricity?

Activity Questions Why did the pieces of paper jump up after we rubbed the lid with our hair? -The lid collected the electrons from our hair, giving itself a negative charge. The pieces of paper were positively charged and when brought near the negatively charged lid they were attracted to it.

After jumping up to the lid, some pieces of paper jumped back down to the table and then back up to the lid, why? -Some pieces of paper jumped up to the lid and took some of it’s electrons giving the lid and the paper the same negative charge. They repelled. Then the paper lost some of it’s electrons to other pieces of paper or the table giving it a positive charge, making it the opposite charge of the lid. They attract one another again.

Some of the pieces of paper stuck on the lid attracted other pieces of paper on the table, why? -The pieces of paper that didn’t jump up to the lid must have had the same negative charge as the lid so they were not attracted to it. The paper that did stick to the lid though, had a positive charge, so the negative pieces of paper stuck to the positive piece that was stuck to the lid.

4. How does this demonstrate static electricity? -This shows the movement of electrons from material to material giving it an attraction or repulsion to the other objects around it.