ELECTRIC CHARGES

An electric charge is the property a particle that cause

it to experience a force when placed in an
electromagnetic field.
It is also an atom that has gained or lost electron(s)
It’s symbol is Q and it is measured in coulomb (C)
PRODUCTION OF CHARGES
Charges are produced in three ways:
1. By friction
2. By electrostatic induction
3. By contact
PRODUCTION OF CHARGES BY FRICTION
If a plastic pen is rub vigorously on the hair or on a
coat and it is hold near a very small piece of paper,
the paper will be attracted by the pen.
Positive charge is obtained when a glass rod is rubbed
with silk, or when cellulose acetate is rubbed with
silk, while negative charge is obtained when an
ebonite rod is rubbed with fur or when polythene is
rubbed with fur. These charges are acquired by
friction as one surface is rubbed against another.
A moving vehicle passing through air also acquires
charges due to friction between air and the vehicle
as air rubs on the vehicle. A passenger alighting
from a charged vehicle may experience an electric
shock sensation.
In petrol tankers, if such charges are not conducted
away, it may lead to spark which can ignite the
tanker especially in the presence of inflammable
vapour. This is why a chain is usually attached and
left hanging from the rear of petrol tankers to
conduct the charges to the earth.
 PRODUCTION OF CHARGES BY ELECTROSTATIC
INDUCTION
An electrostatic induction is the process of charging a
neutral body by placing a charged body near it
without any contact between them.
PROCESSES OF CHARGING A CONDUCTOR
POSITIVELY BY INDUCTION
Step 1. Mount the conductor on an insulator
 Step 2. bring negatively charged ebonite rod near
the conductor. Positive charches are attracted to the
end of the conductor that is near the ebonite rod
and negative charges are repelled to the other.
Step 3. with the ebonite rod still in position,
stand on the ground with your bear feet
and touch the conductor at the opposite
side of the ebonite rod with a finger and
electrons will flow to earth through you.
Step 4. remove your finger and then remove
the ebonite rod. The net positive charge left
is distributed evenly on the conductor.
PRODUCTION OF CHARGES BY CONTACT

Step 1. Bring two uncharged conductors each on

an insulating stand and in contact with each
other. Bring a positively charged glass rod near
one of the conductors and all the negative
charges in them are attracted to the glass rod
while all the positive charges are repelled to
the other conductor as shown in the diagram
below.
Step 2. with the glass rod still in position,
separate the two conductors.
 Step 3. Remove the glass rod and the
conductors carry different charges evenly
distributed in them as shown in the diagram.
SUMMARY OF CHARGING CONDUCTORS BY
CONCACT
Some substances are found to poses the ability to
attract light objects once they are rubbed. The light
object as well as the rubbed material are said to be
charged or electrified with static electricity.
Electrostatics is the study of charges at rest. It is a
type of electricity that does not move from one
point to another in the substance in which it is
produced.
TYPES OF CHARGES
There are two types of charges – positive and
negative charges.
Positive charge is obtained when a glass rod is rubbed
with silk, or when cellulose acetate is rubbed with
silk, while negative charge is obtained when an
ebonite rod is rubbed with fur or when polythene is
rubbed with fur.
These two rods with positive and negative
electrification attract each other when brought
close.
Repulsion occurs if two similar rods are brought close.
 FUNDAMENTAL LAW OF ELECTROSTATICS

The law of electrostatic states that like charges repel,

unlike charges attract.
CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS
Conductors are materials that allow electrons to pass
through them easily. Examples of conductors are
metals, damp air, graphite, acids, salt solutions, the
earth, and the human body.
• Insulators are materials that do not allow electrons
to pass through them easily. Examples of insulators
are plastic, polythene, Bakelite, ebonite, paper, dry
hair, silk, oils, glass, sulphur and wood.
 GOLD LEAF ELECTROSCOPE

The gold-leaf electroscope is an instrument used for

detecting and testing small positive and negative
charges. It consists of a metal (brass) rod to which a
thin gold-leaf (or aluminium leaf) is attached. The
rod is surmounted by a brass disc or cap and
insulated from the metal case.
The leaf is protected from outside influences (like
drought) by enclosing it in an earthed metal case
with glass windows
.
Generally, the gold-leaf can also be used to test
the conducting properties of materials.
GOLD LEAF ELECTROSCOPE
 USES OF GOLD LEAF ELECTROSCOPE

1. It is used to test whether a material is a

conductor or an insulator. The material is
made to touch the cap. Rapid collapse means
that the charges escape easily and hence the
material concerned is a good conductor. A
slow collapse means that it is a poor
conductor. No collapse means that it is an
insulator.
2. It is used to test charges whether the charge is
positive or negative. The gold leave
electroscope to test the sign of the charge of
an object. If an unknown charge is brought
near to a charged electroscope and the leaf
diverges more, the unknown charge is similar
to the charge on the electroscope.
3. It is used to determine the type of charge
present on a conductor.
4. It is used to determine the magnitude of
charge on one body in relation to another.
 CHARGING A GOLD LEAF ELECTROSCOPE
Gold leaf electroscope can be charged in two ways:
1. By electrostatic induction
2. By contact

1. CHARGING A GOLD LEAF ELECTROSCOPE BY

ELECTROSTATIC INDUCTION
Gold leaf electroscope can be charged positively by
electrostatic induction by the following steps.
Step 1. bring a negatively charged ebonite rod
near the cap of the gold leaf electroscope.
Positive charges are left on the cap while
negative charges (electrons) are repelled to
the leaf, which causes the leaf to diverge
(open).
Step 2. touch the cap with a finger and the
electrons are further repelled and they flow
through the human body to the earth. The leaf
closes (collapses) as a result.
One stands on the ground with a bare foot while
touching the cap with finger and this act is
known as earth connection.
Step 3. With the rod still near the cap the earth
connection is removed and a net positive
charge is left on the cap while the leaf still
remain collapsed.
Step 4. The rod is removed and the positive
charge on the cap is distributed evenly
between the cap and the leaf. The leaf then
diverges (open) due to repulsion.
 2. CHARGING GOLD LEAF
ELECTROSCOPE BY CONTACT
A gold leaf electroscope can be recharged by
contact by sliding a charged body over the
cap. Through this contact, the cap receives
charge and the charge is passed through the
metal rod to the leaf. The leaf is observed to
diverge due to repulsion because the rod and
the leaf carry the same charge. The leaf
remains in divergent position even when the
charged body is removed.
SUMMARY OF THE EFFECTS ON GOLDLEAF
ELECTROSCOPE WHEN A CHARGED AND
UNCHARGED BODY IS BROUGHT NEAR ITS
METAL CAP.
1. DISTRIBUTION OF CHARGES ON SPHERICAL
CONDUCTORS
2. DISTRIBUTION OF CHARGES ON
RECTANGULAR CONDUCTORS
3. DISTRIBUTION OF CHARGES ON PEAR
SHAPED CONDUCTORS
 CHARGE DENSITY
This is the charge per unit area of a surface. It is
the ratio of quantity of charge to the area over
which it is distributed.
Charge density = charge/Area
Its unit is coulomb per meter squared (Cm-2)
POINT ACTION OR ACTION AT A POINT
The electric charges on the surface of a charged
object do not necessarily spread out evenly. If the
curvature is not regular, for instance, the charges
tend to accumulate more at the sharper places than
flat areas. As a result, the charge density at sharp
points becomes large. Since like charges repel, the
electrons are emitted rapidly from sharper points.
This is called action at points.
E.g.
Charged needle acts as a electron spray-gun at its
tip.
POINT ACTION OR ACTION AT A POINT
 LIGHTENING
Lightning – a natural phenomenon as
breathtaking as it is deadly. It’s a spark that
bridges the gap between negatively and
positively charged sections of a cloud, and its
power can cause significant damage,
especially to tall buildings.
 LIBHTNING CONDUCTOR

The lighting conductors are long metal strips running

from the spike end of a conductor on the top of a
building. They are used to prevent building from
destruction when struck by thunder or lightning.
The conductor is a long metal rod installed or
connected to the earth by means of a cable.
The sharp outer point of the top gains an
induced charge opposite to that in the
thundercloud. The charge ionizes the nearby
air and the charged air molecules flow
upwards from the point. This discharges the
cloud before a lightning flash occurs.
LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR
 STORAGE OF CHARGES

The electrophorus is a device for transferring

and storing charges. It produces electric
charges by electrostatic induction.
Another device for the storage of electric
charges is the capacitor
ELECTROPHORUS
ELECTROPHORUS