What is Static Electricity?

Rubbing a polythene strip on wool causes some of the outer electrons in the wool to move over
to the polythene strip. As the polythene gains electrons it becomes negatively charged. The
wool looses electrons and is left with a net positive charge (more protons to electrons).

Static electricity is caused by the transfer of charge.

Atoms are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons each with their own properties.

Protons have a Positive (+) charge.

Electrons have a Negative (-) charge.
Neutrons are Neutral (no charge).

The positive charges (protons) are held in the nucleus of the atom.
The negative charges (electrons) are spread in orbits around the nucleus.

The protons and neutrons are held very tightly in the nucleus. But some of the electrons are
held very loosely and can move from one atom to another. If an atom looses an electron the
number of protons (positive charges) exceeds the number of electrons (negative charges) and
the atom is positively charged.

If an atom gains an electron the number of protons (positive charges) is lesser than the number
of electrons (negative charges) and the atom is negatively charged.
One method in which electrons can be moved or transferred is by rubbing two insulators
together. Rubbing causes friction between the two surfaces increasing the surface contact and
allowing more electrons to be transferred. The object which looses electrons becomes
positively charged and the one that gains the electrons becomes negatively charged.

Therefore,

Static Electricity is the imbalance of Positive and Negative Charge

Attraction & Repulsion

Rubbing a polythene strip on wool causes some of the outer electrons in the wool to move over
to the polythene strip. As the polythene gains electrons it becomes negatively charged. The
wool looses electrons and is left with a net positive charge (more protons to electrons).

Only the negative electrons move. The positive protons remained fixed in the atoms nucleus.
Rubbing materials to generate charge only works for insulated objects. Conductors direct the
charge flow to earth.

When two electrically charged bodies are brought together they exert a force on each other.
Electrically charged objects may attract or repel each other or attract small uncharged objects
place near them.

Opposite charges attract. Like charges Repel

Example

Balloon

A balloon can be made to stick to a wall by using the principles of electrostatics.

When a balloon is rubbed against clothes the negative electrons from the clothes get
transferred to the balloon making the balloon negatively charged. When the balloon is placed
near a wall or ceiling (a neutral object) it stays there and doesnt fall. This is because the
negative charge of the balloon repels some of the electrons in the wall or ceiling away from the
surface. This results in an overall positively charged surface causing the negatively charged
balloon to be attracted (remember opposite charges attract).

The separated charges in the wall or ceiling are called INDUCED charges.

Static Hazards
Sparks

Sparks can cause explosions. When flammable liquids like gasoline (petrol) are transferred from
tankers to aircrafts static electricity poses a very serious hazard. Gasoline is an insulator. When
it transferred from a tanker to an aircraft it rubs against the inside of the hose and builds up a
lot of charge. This large amount of charge can form sparks and cause an explosion.

To prevent this from happening tankers/aircrafts use grounding or earthing devices. These are
copper wires on the hose and the aircraft that draw the electrical charge away from the
gasoline and into the ground/earth (hence the name grounding or earthing).
Lightning

In storm clouds water droplets collide with dust particles, ionising radiations and each other.
These collisions cause electrons to be knocked of the particles and accumulate in the cloud. The
negative charges collect at the bottom of cloud and induce positive charges to accumulate on
the ground. Eventually, the potential difference between the cloud and the ground become so
great that the negative charges from the cloud are attracted towards the positive charges from
the ground. When the two charges meet a flash of lightning is produced. Lightning bolts can
heat up the air to temperatures hotter than the sun this causes the air around the bolt to
expand explosively producing the sound we hear as thunder. As light travels a million times
faster than sound we see the lightning before we hear the thunder.

Lightning Hazards

Lightning strikes are hazardous to buildings especially tall ones like tower blocks and chimney
stacks. The energy in a bolt of lightning can severely damage and burn buildings. Lightning
conductors provide protection for building by providing the path of least resistance for the
lightning into the earth.

Lightning conductors are a sharp pointed metal rod placed on the top of a building. As charged
storm clouds induce positive charge the point of the lightning conductor becomes positively
charged. If lightning strikes it will be hit the conductor (due to it being the tallest object with
the positive charge), it will the travel down the rod and into earth where it will be dissipated
safely.
Conductors & Insulators
Conductors are materials which allow the electrons to move freely inside them. All metals are
good conductors because they contain a large number of free electrons inside them that can
move easily from atom to atom.

Insulators do not allow electrons to pass through them. They do not contain free electrons
inside them.

Conductors Insulators

All metals e.g. copper, silver,

Glass
etc.
Water Plastics
Skin Air
Rubber

The electrostatic precipitator

Electrostatic precipitators are used in industry for environmental protection. In factories, power
plants and chemical plants smoke and other exhaust have to be treated to remove dust
particles and other particulates before it is released into the atmosphere.
Highly positively charged wires are stretched across the centre of the chimney or exhaust vent
to form a grid. The wires are charged to a positive charge of about 50,000V. As the smoke
passes over the wires the particles carried in the smoke become positively charged. These
particles are then attracted towards negatively charged collecting plates where they stick. Thus,
the dust particles are separated from the smoke which then carries on up the chimney and into
the atmosphere. The negatively charged collecting plates are periodically struck with a
mechanical hammer to remove the dust particles which then drop into a collecting bin.

Remember, the principle would also be true if the wires were negatively charged and the
collecting plates positively charged. As the process relies on the principle that opposite charges
attract.

Paint Spraying/Crop Spraying

The principles of electrostatics are used are used by industry in the process of paint spraying for
e.g. the automotive industry when spraying cars. The nozzle of the spray gun is given a charge.
The paint droplets exiting the nozzle gain this charge. As the droplets all hold the same charge
they repel each other so that they spread out into a fine mist. The object to be painted is
grounded or earthed. The charged droplets are attracted to the grounded object, even the back
of it due to the electrostatic attraction (remember charged objects are attracted to uncharged
objects). This process requires less paint and gives a uniform finish.

The same principle is used to benefit farmers in crop spraying. If the fertilizer/pesticide is given
the same charge the droplets repel to form a larger cloud thereby increasing the coverage.
These are then attracted to the uncharged crops.
The Photocopier

Photocopiers consist of a drum or belt covered with a layer of photoconductive material. A

photoconductive material conducts electricity when struck by light (photo meaning light and
conductive referring to conducting electrons).

When a photocopier is started a high voltage wire distributes a positive charge evenly on the
surface of the belt or drum. An intense beam of light moves across the sheet of paper to be
copied placed on the glass surface. The dark areas on the paper absorb the light and the white
areas reflect the light back onto the drum/belt below. The reflected light strikes the positively
charged photoconductive material on the metal neutralizing it (by producing electrons). The
dark areas on the paper for e.g. the text or picture that do not reflect the light leave regions of
positive charges on the surface of the belt/drum (like a shadow).

Negatively charged, dry black pigment particles known as toner are then spread over the
drum/belt. These negatively charged particles are attracted to the positively charged regions on
the drum/belt (remember opposite charges attract). A blank sheet of paper is passed over the
charged wire making it positive and then passed over the drum/belt. The positively charged
paper attracts the toner off the drum/belt. The paper plus toner is then heated and passed
through rollers to melt and fuse the toner to the paper.