Name ______________________________ Class ___________________ Date __________________
Skills Worksheet
Directed Reading A
Section: Electric Charge and Static Electricity
ELECTRIC CHARGE
B __ 1.What do you call the tiny particles that make up matter?
a. electricity
c. electrons
b. atoms
d. charges
C __ 2.Atoms are made up of protons, neutrons, and what third particle?
a. charges
c. electrons
b. electricity
d. forces
3. What three types of charge can an object have?
Positive, negative, no charge
4. What does the law of electric charges state?
Like charges repel, opposite charges attract
5. Protons are __positive charged.
6. Electrons are negative charged.
7. The force between charged objects is a(n) electric force
8. What two things affect the size of the electric force?
Amount of charge and distance
9. The region around a charged object where an electric force is exerted on
another charged object is the electric field
10. How do charged objects within an electric field interact?
They either attract or repel one another.
CHARGE IT!
11. Why are atoms uncharged?
There are equal numbers of positively charged protons and negatively
charged electrons so their charges cancel each other out.
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Holt Science Technology
1
Introduction to Electricity
Name ______________________________ Class ___________________ Date __________________
Directed Reading A continued
12. What happens when an object loses electrons?
positive
13. What happens when an object gains electrons?
negative
Match the correct definition with the correct term. Write the letter in the space
C _ 14.This happens when electrons are a. conduction
“wiped” from one object to another.
B 15.This happens when charges in an uncharged c. friction
metal object are rearranged without direct contact
with a charged object.
a. conduction
b. induction
c. friction
A _ 16.This happens when electrons move by direct contact.
17. When you charge objects by any method, no charges are created or destroyed
Not on test
18. You can use a device called a(n) electroscope to see if something is charged.
19. Can you tell if an object has a positive or negative charge with an
electroscope?
no
MOVING CHARGES
A _ 20.Which of the following is a material in which charges can move easily?
a. electrical conductor
c. electrical jumper
b. electrical insulator
d. electrical stopper
B _ 21.Which of the following is a material in which charges CANNOT move
easily?
a. electrical conductor
c. electrical jumper
b. electrical insulator
d. electrical stopper
C _ 22.Which of the following is a good conductor?
a. wood
c. copper
b. air
d. glass
B _ 23.Which of the following is a good insulator?
a. aluminum
c. mercury
b. glass
d. copper
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Holt Science Technology
2
Introduction to Electricity
Name ______________________________ Class ___________________ Date __________________
Directed Reading A continued
24. Why are most metals good conductors?
Metals are good conductors because their electrons are free to move.
25. What factors make a material a good insulator?
Insulators do not conduct charges well because their electrons cannot flow freely.
STATIC ELECTRICITY
26. What is static electricity?
Static electricity is the electric charge at rest on an object.
27. The loss of static electricity as charges move off an object is called discharge
28. What three things might you notice after an electric discharge?
a flash of light, a shock, or a crackling noise
29. How does lightning occur within a cloud?
In the cloud, water, ice, and air move and build up negative charges often at
the bottom of the cloud. Positive charges build on the top of the cloud.
This causes a rapid electric discharge called lightning.
30. WhyNot
is itonunsafe
test! to be at the beach during a lightning storm?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
31. How do lightning rods protect buildings from lightning?
_______________________________________________________________
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Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Holt Science Technology
3
Introduction to Electricity