Download Electric Charge and Static Electricity Reading

Name ___________________________________ Date ____________ Period ___________
Electric Charge and Static Electricity
The charged parts of atoms are electrons and protons. Protons and electrons have opposite charges. The
charge on the proton is called positive (+) and the charge on the electron is called negative (−). Charges that are
the same repel each other. Charges that are different attract each other. The interaction between electric charges
is called electricity. Force is a push or pull on an object. In electricity, electric force is the attraction or
repulsion between electric charges. Electric charges exert force over a distance. An electric field extends
around a charged object. An electric field is a region around a charged object where the object’s electric force
is exerted on other charged objects. When one charged object is placed in the electric field of another charged
object, it is either pushed or pulled. It is pushed away if the two objects have the same charge. It is pulled
toward the other charged object if their charges are different. You can use electric field lines to represent an
electric field. The electric force always points away from positive charges. The strength of an electric field is
related to the distance from the charge object. The greater the distance, the weaker the electric field.
Electrons can sometimes leave their atoms. An uncharged object becomes charged by gaining or losing
electrons. If an object loses electrons, it has an overall positive charge. If an object gains electrons, it has an
overall negative charge. The buildup of charges on an object is called static electricity. In static electricity,
charges build up on an object, but they do not flow continuously. Charges are neither created nor destroyed. If
an object gives up electrons, another object gains those electrons. This is known as the law of conservation of
charge. There are three methods by which charges can be transferred to build up static electricity: charging by
friction, by conduction, and by induction. Charging by friction is the transfer of electrons from one uncharged
object to another by rubbing. Charging by conduction is the transfer of electrons from a charge object to
another by direct contact. Charging by induction is movement of electrons to one part of an object that is
caused by the electric field of a second object. The electric field around the charged object attracts or repels
electrons in the second object. If an object gains a static charge, the object doesn’t hold the charge forever.
When a negatively charged object and a positively charged object are brought together, electrons transfer until
both objects have the same charge. The loss of static electricity as electric charges transfer from one object to
another is called static discharge. Lightning is an example of a huge spark of static electricity.
Vocabulary - From the list below, choose the term that best completes each sentence.
conservation of charge
static electricity
conduction
static discharge
electric field
friction
induction
electric force
1. In electricity, ________________________ is the attraction or repulsion between electric charges.
2. The buildup of charges on an object is called ________________________.
3. The law of ________________________ states that charges are not created or destroyed. They are
transferred.
4. The transfer of charge from one object to another by rubbing is called ________________________.
5. The loss of static electricity as electric charges transfer from one object to another is called
________________________.
6. A(n) ________________________ is a region around a charged object where the object’s electric force is
exerted on other charged objects.
7. The transfer of electrons from one part of an object to another part, caused by the electric field of another
object, without the two objects touching is called ________________________.
8. The transfer of charge when electrons move from a charged object to another object by direct contact is
called ________________________.
Reading Comprehension – Use the passage above to answer the following questions..
9. What happens when a negatively charged object and a positively charged object are brought together?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
10. The loss of static electricity as electric charges transfer from one object to another is called
________________________.
11. True or False - Lightning is an example of static discharge.
12. What is electric force?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
13. What is a region around a charged object where the object’s electric force is exterted on other charged
objects? __________________________________________________________________________________
14. Electric field lines are drawn with arrows to show the ________________________ of the electric force.
15. When there are two or more charges, the electric fields of each individual charge _____________________
by repellng or attracting.
Understanding Main Ideas - The person whose finger is shown below has walked across a carpet and is about
to touch the doorknob.
16. Are the charges in the finger attracted or repelled by the charges in the doorknob? How can you tell?
17. What do the lines around the finger and doorknob represent?
18. One of a kind static electricity is a result of electrons moving into an object from another object. What is
another way static electricity can build up in an object?