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Static Electricity
9 questions By Tony R. Kuphaldt
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Question 1 of 9
What does it mean for an object to have an electric charge? Give an example of an object receiving an electric charge, and describe how that charged object might behave.
Reveal answerFor an object to be electrically charged, it must have either a surplus or a deficit of electrons among its atoms.
A common example of electrically charging objects is rubbing latex balloons against wool clothing, or brushing your hair with a plastic comb. The consequences of these electric charges are very easy to perceive!
Notes:This question naturally leads to a discussion on atomic theory. Encourage your students to discuss and explore simple models of the atom, and how they serve to explain electricity in terms of electron placement and motion.
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Question 2 of 9
How many electrons are contained in one coulomb of charge?
Reveal answerThere are 6.25 ×1018 electrons in one coulomb of charge. What would this appear as without the use of scientific notation? Write this same figure using the most appropriate metric prefix.
Notes:A little math review here: using scientific notation to denote very large (or very small) numbers.
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Question 3 of 9
What is happening when two objects are rubbed together and static electricity results?
Reveal answerWhen certain combinations of materials are rubbed together, the rubbing action transfer electrons from the atoms of one material to the atoms of the other. This imbalance of electrons leaves the former material with a positive charge and the latter with a negative charge.
Notes:The terms “positive” and “negative” seem backward in relation to the modern concept of electrons as charge carriers. Be sure to discuss the historical aspect of this terminology (Benjamin Franklin’s conjecture), and the subsequent designation of an electron’s individual charge as “negative.”
Someone clearly did an ill-advised search and replace turning “element” to “entry”, so this page mentions “entryary charge” instead of “elementary charge” and “the entry carbon” instead of “the element carbon”. Please fix this.
What is the math behind Q4? Showing the work might be a good idea.