The Nature of Static Electricity

Electric Charges Some examples of experiences of electric charge: Cold, dry winter day and removing your hat – hair flies up Getting a shock from a door handle A lightning storm What is electric charge? Charged particles that exert an electric force on each other

Electrically Charged Particles Recall from the chemistry unit: an element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down any further pure substances are made of atoms atoms are made of protons, electrons, and neutrons Particle Charge Location Proton Positive (+) Nucleus Neutron Neutral (0) Electron Negative (-) Orbits Draw the Bohr-Rutherford diagram for nitrogen When a substance has no charge, it is neutral. This means that it has an equal number of positive and negative charges. When a substance becomes charged, it gains or loses electrons.

When two neutral substances are rubbed together Static Charges gain electrons – negative charge lose electrons – positive charge rubbing action When two neutral substances are rubbed together one substance becomes positively charged by losing electrons one substance becomes negatively charged by gaining electrons only the electrons in the outer orbit move protons are embedded in the nucleus and can’t move Static charge or static electricity the electric charge that builds up on the surface of an object static – stays in one place – does not move

Electrically Charging Materials How do atoms gain or lose electrons to become electrically charged? one common cause of electron transfer is friction when two objects are rubbed together, the force of friction can remove electrons from one object and cause the electrons to transfer to another

different substances have different abilities to hold on to electrons. Electron Affinity different substances have different abilities to hold on to electrons. the tendency of a substance to hold on to the electrons is called electron affinity. Electrostatic series higher substances on the list lose electrons lower substances on the list gain electrons Pg. 398 #1-5