Physics 151 Lab 1 Static Electricity
Static Electricity
Physics Lab #1
June 24, 2011
Purpose The purpose of this experiment is to explain the different aspects of static electricity, including effects of electrical charges on small-uncharged objects, electrical attraction and repulsion, creation of electrical charge, practical uses of electrical charges, and measurement of electrical force between electrical charges.
Findings
Electric current is the flow of electric charge. Some materials become electrically charged when rubbed together. A substance that gains electrons becomes negatively charged, while a substance that loses electrons becomes positively charged. Charges that are the same (positive and positive or negative and negative) repel, while unlike charges (positive and negative) attract. Charged objects are able to attract small-uncharged objects toward them, such as pieces of paper. Electrical charge can be created by rubbing things together or touching them to other objects with greater charge than their own.
These properties are demonstrated by the experiments performed in this lab. A styrofoam cup suspended from a fixed support by thread and a second cup are rubbed against hair vigorously. When they are placed near each other the cups repel each other. They both have the same negative charge. The closer the cups were put toward each other the more they were repelled as evidenced by their threads being pushed apart as well. Electrostatic force increases the closer they are and decreases the further apart they are.
When one of these cups was placed very near small-uncharged pieces of paper, they jumped off the table and clung shortly to the cup. Some electrons are likely to be transferred to the pieces of paper to give them a negative charge and that is why they soon fell off the negatively charged cup.
When a ball of foil is suspended from a string and brought near the second cup, the cup and foil are attracted to each other. At the point they actually touch, they
Physics Lab #1
June 24, 2011
Purpose The purpose of this experiment is to explain the different aspects of static electricity, including effects of electrical charges on small-uncharged objects, electrical attraction and repulsion, creation of electrical charge, practical uses of electrical charges, and measurement of electrical force between electrical charges.
Findings
Electric current is the flow of electric charge. Some materials become electrically charged when rubbed together. A substance that gains electrons becomes negatively charged, while a substance that loses electrons becomes positively charged. Charges that are the same (positive and positive or negative and negative) repel, while unlike charges (positive and negative) attract. Charged objects are able to attract small-uncharged objects toward them, such as pieces of paper. Electrical charge can be created by rubbing things together or touching them to other objects with greater charge than their own.
These properties are demonstrated by the experiments performed in this lab. A styrofoam cup suspended from a fixed support by thread and a second cup are rubbed against hair vigorously. When they are placed near each other the cups repel each other. They both have the same negative charge. The closer the cups were put toward each other the more they were repelled as evidenced by their threads being pushed apart as well. Electrostatic force increases the closer they are and decreases the further apart they are.
When one of these cups was placed very near small-uncharged pieces of paper, they jumped off the table and clung shortly to the cup. Some electrons are likely to be transferred to the pieces of paper to give them a negative charge and that is why they soon fell off the negatively charged cup.
When a ball of foil is suspended from a string and brought near the second cup, the cup and foil are attracted to each other. At the point they actually touch, they