Conceptual Physics

Electrostatics and Static Electricity

Notes and Worksheets

Electrostatics is the study of electrical charges at rest.

Charge is the fundamental aspect of all electrical phenomena.
Electrical charge is a property of matter. What this means is

All objects are composed of atoms.

Atoms contain charged particles:

Charge can not be separated from an electron or proton.

Electrons (not protons) are prone to move. Electrons are the mobile charge carriers.

The process of an electron leaving one object to reside (perhaps only temporarily) in another
object is a common occurrence. When this occurs, the object is said to be electrically charged.

Static Electricity is caused by an excess of charged particles on an object.

Charged Versus Uncharged Objects:
Positively-Charged

Possesses fewer electrons than protons

Negatively-Charged

Possesses more electrons than protons

Uncharged
(neutral)

Possesses equal numbers of electrons and protons

Law of Conservation of Electric Charge : Charge is conserved. It is transferred, not created,

nor destroyed. The net amount of electric charge produced in any process is zero. If one region or
object acquires a positive charge, then an equal amount of negative charge will be found in
neighboring regions or objects. What this means is....

Interactions between charged objects: Charges will...

Like Charges?

Opposite Charges?

How do neutral objects interact with charged objects?

neutral and positive?

neutral and negative?

Explain how the electrons shift in the neutral object so that there is a force of attraction
between the neutral and charged objects.

neutral and neutral? Why?

How can you determine if an object is charged?

Electroscopes:

Why did some objects become charged on the lab, while others did not?

Conductors

Insulators

How do objects become charged?

Work is done Friction

Conduction -

Discharging/grounding

InductionInduction Polarize and ground

Induction Polarize and separate

Charge - the underlaying cause of all electrostatic phenomena and electricity

Quantity
Charge - a characteristic
of electrons and protons
that causes them to
interact with each other.
(attract / repel)

Variable

Unit and Unit Symbol

An elementary charge is the smallest particle of matter that carries charge. There are two
types of elementary charges. They are...

A Coulomb of charge is a large amount of charge. An object must have a lot of excess electrons
or protons to have that much charge. How many electrons (or protons) in one Coulomb of
charge?

What happens when charged objects touch other objects?

Charge can transfer from one object to the other. The rule is...

Conceptual Physics

Electrostatics Worksheet #2

Name
1. How do protons and electrons differ in their electrical charge?

2. If an atom (or object) is neutral, how many electrons are there compared to the number of
protons?

3. Explain in terms of comparative numbers of protons and electrons why an object has a
negative charge? A positive charge? Draw a diagram of a positively charged object and a
negatively charged object.

4. How do like charges behave toward each other?

5. How do unlike charges behave toward each other?

6. How do neutral objects behave toward charged objects? What is happening?

7. What does it mean to say that an object is electrically polarized? Draw a diagram of a
electrically polarized conducting sphere near a positively charged glass rod.

8. What does it mean to say that charge is conserved?

9. What is an elementary charge? What are the two kinds of elementary charges?

10. What unit is used to measure electrical charge?

11. How much electrical charge does an electron carry? (in Coulombs)

12. How much electrical charge does a proton carry? (in Coulombs)

13. How many elementary charges are in one Coulomb of charge?

14.

What is the charge in Coulombs on an object that has 356 more protons than electrons?

15.

An object has an electrical charge of -1.2 x 10-16 C. How many excess elementary
charges does it have? What kind are they?

16.

An object has 8.25 x 1013 protons and 5.0 x 1013 electrons. What is the charge on the
object?

17. Two charged conducting objects are brought together and then separated. How much charge
is left on each of the objects?
A.
B.
C.

Name:

Electrostatics Worksheet #1

Conceptual Physics

1. Describe the charge distribution for an object that is

electrically positive
electrically negative
electrically neutral
2. Draw the charge distribution on the objects below. Include at least 8 charges.
Electrically positive

electrically negative

electrically neutral

3. What will occur if you bring a negatively charged rubber rod near each of the charged
spheres? Indicate the interaction between the spheres and the rod (attract or repel).
Electrically positive

------

electrically negative

------

electrically neutral

------

+-

4. What will occur if you bring a positively charged glass rod near each of the charged spheres?
Indicate the interaction between the spheres and the rod (attract or repel).
Electrically positive

+++++

electrically negative

+++++

electrically neutral

+++++

-+

5. Describe polarization of charge on a neutral object. Draw the charge distribution on the
spheres as a negatively charged rubber rod or a positively charged glass rod are brought near
the neutral sphere. Draw at least 8 charges on the spheres.
electrically neutral sphere

electrically neutral sphere

------

++++++

The charges on a polarized object

6. Describe two ways of charging objects by touching them together. What is the difference
between the two methods?

7. Draw the movement of charges as a neutral conducting sphere is charge by conduction with a
negatively charged rubber rod. Include at least 8 charges on the sphere.
Before

-----

During

-----

After

- -

8. Describe induction (charging objects that involves no contact between the charged object
and object being charged).

9. What is a conductor? Why is metal a good conductor?

10. What is an insulator? What kinds of substances are good insulators?