Name: ___________________________________
Date: ____________________________________

STATIC ELECTRICITY LAB


Purpose: To determine some of the characteristics of static electricity.

Materials and Methods: Record as "attraction, repulsion, or no effect" for each step.

  1. Tear a paper into very small pieces. Starting about 15 cm away, slowly bring the un-rubbed ebonite rod closer and closer to the pieces until it almost (but doesn't quite) touches them.

  2. Repeat step 1 by slowly bringing the un-rubbed ebonite rod close to a small amount of iron filings, sawdust, and a very thin stream of tap water.

  3. Now vigorously rub the ebonite rod with fur. Slowly bring the rubbed ebonite rod close to the pieces of paper. Repeat for iron filings, sawdust, and a thin stream of tap water.

  4. Vigorously rub a glass rod with a piece of plastic bag. Slowly bring the rubbed glass rod close to the pieces of paper. Repeat for iron filings, sawdust, and a thin stream of tap water.

  5. Bring a magnet close to the pieces of paper, iron filings, sawdust, and a thin stream of tap water.

  6. Observe the demonstrations by the teacher.

Observations:

 
PAPER
IRON FILINGS
SAWDUST
WATER
Ebonite rod NOT rubbed with fur

    
Ebonite rod rubbed with fur

    
Glass rod rubbed with plastic

    
Magnet

    


Teacher Demonstrations
 Hanging ebonite rod NOT rubbed with furHanging ebonite rod rubbed with fur
Ebonite rod NOT rubbed with fur

  
Ebonite rod rubbed with fur

  


Questions: (Answer on a separate sheet. Use chapter 9 as a reference)

  1. Define the term static electricity.

  2. How can static electricity be produced?

  3. How did static electricity and magnetism differ in terms of their effect on the objects in this lab?

  4. Describe the behaviour of:
    a) uncharged objects towards other uncharged objects.
    b) uncharged objects towards charged objects.
    c) similarly charged objects towards each other.
    d) oppositely charged objects towards each other.

  5. How does the electrical force between charged and uncharged objects change as the distance between them INCREASES?

  6. List 3 everyday examples of static electricity.