F.

5 Physics – Electrostatics

Electric charges
1. There are two kinds of charges, namely __________________
positive and __________________
negative
charges.
2. Like charges _________________ each other, unlike charges ________________ each other.
repel attract
3. A __________________ atom has equal numbers of protons and electrons.
neutral
4. When a neutral object loses electrons, it becomes __________________ charged. When it
gains electrons, it becomes __________________ charged.positively

5. The amount of charge in an isolated system is __________________.

negatively
conserved
6. Electric charges are measured in __________________ (C).
coulombs
7. Charges can flow easily in __________________.
conductors
8. Charges cannot move in __________________ but stay at where they are placed.
insulators
9. __________________ objects can attract both neutral and oppositely charged objects.
Charged
Exercise 1
A student rubs a balloon with a dry cloth. Then the balloon can be attracted to a board.

Explain the phenomenon briefly.

(What happens when a balloon is rubbed? (How does the balloon affect the charge distribution of the board when the
balloon is put close to the board? (What electric forces will be caused?)

The balloon becomes charged after being rubbed by a dry cloth. When it is

brought close to the board, the charge distribution of the board is distorted.

Charges of a sign opposite to that on the balloon are induced on the side of the

board facing the balloon and this results in attraction. At the same time, charges of

a sign the same as the balloon are induced on the side of the board far away from

F.5 Physics
the balloon and this results in repulsion. – Electrostatics
Since – p. 1is greater than
the attraction

repulsion, the balloon can be attracted to the board.

Charging and discharging methods

1. Conductors and insulators can be charged by __________________.

rubbing
10. Conductors can also be charged by __________________ or by
__________________________. sharing

11. Instruments
inductionlike
andEHT supply and Van de Graaff generator can be used to charge objects.
earthing

Exercise 2
A and B are two identical, insulated metal spheres. After rubbed by a cloth, A carries a charge of QA
= +4  1010 C. B is then brought in contact with the cloth. Assume that B shares half of the charge
on the cloth.

(a) What is the charge on B?

2  10−10 C
(b) A is then brought in contact with B.
(i) What is the amount of charge on A and B after they touch each other? Explain briefly.
Each of A and B carries +1 × 10−10 C of charge after they touch each other.
It is because A and B are identical, they will have the same share of charge

when they touch each other. As they initially have +2  10−10 C of charge in
total, each of them has a share of +1 × 10−10 C of charge when they are brought
in contact.

(ii) What charged particle(s) move(s) between A and B? What is the amount of charge
transferred?
Electrons flow from B to A.

amount of charge transferred = 3  10−10 C

(c) What would happen if the spheres are not insulated?
If the spheres are not insulated, the charges on them would flow to the
earth easily.

F.5 Physics – Electrostatics – p. 2

Hazards and applications of electrostatics

1. Sparks
___________________ may be produced when a huge amount of charge are built up
on an object.
2. Sparks can be dangerous in places where ___________________
inflammable substances are present.
3. Attractive electric force can be a help or a nuisance in everyday life.
12. ___________________ materials are used to prevent the build-up of charges on
objects.Anti-static
Applications of ___________________
electrostatics include photocopying, laser printing, electrostatic
precipitators and electrostatic spraying

Exercise 3
Electrostatic charges can be applied to separate minerals. The following diagram shows a simple
machine that can separate conducting and non-conducting minerals. Minerals first fall from a funnel
onto a positively charged rotor. The minerals then pass beneath a negatively charged electrode.

funnel negatively charged

electrode

to ground positively
charged rotor

non-conducting mineral conducting mineral

When
(a) What non-conducting
happens minerals minerals
when non-conducting fall on the rotor,
fall negative
on the charge
rotor? Why areisthey
induced on minerals
attracted to the
rotor?
on the side facing the rotor and positive charge is induced on minerals on the side far

from the rotor. Since negative induced charge is closer to rotor, the attraction between

the minerals and rotor is stronger than repulsion. The net attraction between the rotor

and the induced charge on the minerals keep minerals attracted to rotor.

When conducting minerals fall on the rotor, they share a positive charge
(b) What happens when conducting minerals fall on the rotor? Why do conducting minerals fall
from
off thethe
from rotor. This results in repulsion between conducting minerals and
rotor?
the rotor. When conducting minerals pass beneath the electrode, since their

charges are opposite to that of the electrode, they are attracted towards it

and hence fall off from the rotor.

F.5 Physics – Electrostatics – p. 3

F.5 Physics – Electrostatics – p. 4