Static Electricity
Imagine this for a moment: you are sitting on your cozy, cream-colored couch. “DING!
DONG! You slide across the fluffy, nylon carpet in your favorite pair of comfy socks, reach for
the door, and ZAP! You grimace with the pain of being shocked. What just happened to you?
Yes, that was a static shock. How did that happen?
To begin with, all materials are made up of atoms. An atom consists of protons,
neutrons and electrons. Inside of the nucleus of an atom, you will find the protons and
neutrons. On the other hand, electrons orbit the nucleus of an atom, like the planets orbiting
the sun. The electrons are negatively charged. The neutrons do not have a charge, and the
protons are positively charged.
Additionally, when two surfaces are rubbed together, electrons may move from one
object to another where charges build up, or become static. This buildup of electrons is called
a static charge. Therefore, one object will become negatively charged overall, and the other
object will become positively charged. That means that the surfaces will become oppositely
charged. Unlike, or opposite (different) charges will attract each other, while like (same)
charges will repel each other.
So, this is what happened to you: when you ran across the carpet, your body became
charged. How did you become charged? Well, the electrons from the carpet entered your
body. When your socks moved over the carpet, electrons entered your body and covered your
skin. As a result of this, you had an overall excess of electrons, or negative charges. When you
touched the door, your body discharged, or got rid of electrons which rushed to the doorknob
as a shock and a spark. The greater the charge build up, the more powerful the discharge and
stronger the shock you will feel.
Furthermore, if you rub different materials together, you will discover that not all
materials build up charges the same way. Some materials will build up more charges than
others. For example, cotton does not build up charges when rubbed. However, nylon will build
up more charges when rubbed against other materials.
Finally, there are many examples of charge and discharge taking place around us all the
time. Some happen naturally, like lightning (discharging of electrons from clouds). Some are
man-made, like farmers using static electricity to apply chemicals to crops. Static charges are
everywhere.
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S5P3a
Name:___________________________________________ Date:___________________________________
Answer the questions below by utilizing the text to support your answer.
1- Based on the reading above, what is a static electricity?
2- Tim realized that when he brought a positively charged piece of cloth in contact with a
negatively charged sock that they both stuck together. Why did that happen?
3- Why is it that some people get a static shock when they walk across the carpet and
touch a metal surface?
4- Differentiate between protons, electrons and neutrons.
5- Compare and contrast electrons with the planet Earth?
© AccuTeach
http://www.AccuTeach.com
S5P3a
Static Electricity Answer Key
Answer the questions below by utilizing the text above to support your answer. .
1- Based on the reading above, what is a static electricity?
Static electricity is the buildup of electric charges, or electrons on surfaces. This build up can
feel like a shock when built up in sufficient amounts and released, or discharged.
2- Tim realized that when he brought a positively charged piece of cloth in contact with a
negatively charged sock that they both stuck together. Why did that happen?
That is because the cloth and the sock developed unlike (opposite) charges.
As a result of this, the surfaces of both materials were attracted to each other.
3- Why is it that some people get a static shock when they walk across carpet and touch a
metal surface?
People may feel a shock when they walk across a carpet and touch surfaces, because when
you walk your skin may become negatively charged from picking up electrons from the
carpet.
4- Differentiate between protons, electrons and neutrons.
Protons and neutrons are located inside the nucleus. Protons have a positive charge, and
neutrons have no charge. On the other hand, electrons are negatively charged,
and they orbit the nucleus.
5- Compare and contrast electrons with the planet Earth?
The electrons are particles that orbit the nucleus of atoms. This is similar to the way in which
the planets, such as Earth, orbit the sun, or when the way in which the moon orbits the
Earth. However, the Earth has an overall neutral charge when compared to electrons that
have a negative charge.
© AccuTeach
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S5P3a