Download JTravoltage questions

Name: ___________________________________
Block: ________ Date: ______________
ACTIVITY-2: John Travoltage
Everyone is familiar with the somewhat painful implications of electrostatics. After quickly shuffling across the floor we accumulate
a charge but we cannot feel it. Often, the reason we know this happened is when the charge rapidly leaves our body through
contact with another object and it causes some pain and maybe a spark.
Charging by contact (and the ultimate painful discharge) is humorously portrayed in the following simulation starring John
Travolta.
Select “John Travoltage” from the Electricity, Magnets, and Circuits folder of the PhET site. First keep his arm close to the metal
handle; and then try it with hand pointing away from the door handle. Have fun zapping JT, then answer the questions.
Part-1: WITH HAND CLOSE TO THE HANDLE:
1) Describe the charge distribution on JT prior to discharge. How much charge accumulates before it
discharges? Where is it located or what’s the path?
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2) Still, with hand pointing to the handle; compare charging and discharging. What is the biggest difference?
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Part-2: WITH HAND AWAY FROM THE HANDLE:
3) Describe the charge distribution on JT prior to discharge. How much charge accumulates before it
discharges? Where is it located? What is the biggest difference compared to Part-1?
____
4) Move hand so it points towards the door handle. Compare the charging and discharging. What is the biggest
difference compared to Part-1?
___
5) Based on this observation, infer why discharge is often accompanied by pain, but charging is seldom even
noticed.
____
6) A standard electrical outlet will provide a voltage of 110 Volts and is capable of killing a person. A shock
from static electricity can be measured in the tens of thousands of Volts and seldom results in more than an
annoyed person. Research the difference between Voltage and Current and attempt to explain this
phenomena using the terms voltage and current.
____
7) Based on your observations of the Travoltage and Balloon simulations, attempt to explain why you
sometimes see flashes of light when removing a fleece jacket in a dark room.
_____
____8.
When rubbing a carpet or wool, over time, all the negative charges in an object,
a. remain clustered together where they were placed.
b. spread out over a small area on the object.
c. spread out over a large area on the object.
____9. When a charged object touches a conductor,
a. the positive charges move to the conductor and exit the object.
b. the negative charges move to the conductor and exit the object.
c. both the positive and negative charges move to the conductor and exit the object.
d. neither the positive nor the negative charges move to the conductor and exit the object.
____10. Based upon what you saw happened to JT in this lab, then, it can be said that
a. a person cannot be shocked if they have an excess charge on them.
b. a person cannot be shocked if they have neutral charge.
c. a person can be shocked at any time because it doesn’t depend on the charge the person has.