Electrostatics Lab
Station #1
Station #2
room 225
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Station #3
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Station #4
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Station #5
Station #6
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Station #7
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Station #8
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Write down the Law of Electric Charges.
Practice drawing positively and negatively-charged
objects
Using arrows to show attraction and repulsion
Rubbing ebonite and fur
Drawing before and after diagrams showing charges
Answer 4 questions about excess and deficit of
electrons
Copy missing materials onto the electrostatic series
chart
Use the chart to answer 4 questions
Label the electroscope
Draw electroscopes that are neutral, positivelycharged and negatively-charged
Use a charged rod to move a stream of water
Draw a before and after diagram
The Force of Attraction between a charged comb
and neutral objects. For example: coffee, paper
punches, aluminum foil pieces and straws
Rub acetate with cloth and approach it to another
piece of acetate rubbed with cloth.
Draw before and after diagrams.
Write A on one side of a balloon and write B on the
opposite side of a balloon
Rub A and stick it to the wall.
Do not rub B and try to stick it to the wall
Draw diagrams to show what happened
Station #1
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The Law of Electric Charges
Write down the Law of Electric Charges.
Practice drawing positively and negatively-charged objects
using arrows to show attraction and repulsion
1. Write down the Law of Electric Charges
[3 marks]
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2.
a) Draw two positively-charged rods side-by-side. [2 marks]
b) Do the rods attract or repel? __________________ [1 mark]
c) Use arrows to show attraction or repulsion in your diagram above.
[1 mark]
3.
a) Draw two positively-charged rods side-by-side. [2 marks]
b) Do the rods attract or repel? __________________ [1 mark]
c) Use arrows to show attraction or repulsion in your diagram above.
[1 mark]
4.
a) Draw one positively-charged rod and one negatively charged rod
side-by-side. [2 marks]
b) Do the rods attract or repel? __________________ [1 mark]
c) Use arrows to show attraction or repulsion in your diagram above.
[1 mark]
Station #2
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Charging by Friction
Rubbing ebonite and fur
Drawing before and after diagrams showing charges
Answer questions about excess and deficit of electrons
Some objects acquire a charge by friction
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An atom holds onto its negative electrons by the force of electrical
attraction of its positive nucleus.
Some kinds of atoms exert stronger forces of attraction for their
electrons than other kinds of atoms.
Rub ebonite with fur.
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Ebonite atoms exert a stronger force of attraction for their electrons.
Fur atoms exert a weaker force of attraction for their electrons.
Some of the electrons from the fur are captured by the ebonite atoms
Draw before and after diagrams of the transfer of electrons from fur to
ebonite. [2 marks]
Before:
After:
1. Which material has an excess of electrons after they are rubbed
together? [1 mark]
2. Which material has an excess of electrons after they are rubbed together?
[1 mark]
3. Which material has atoms with a weaker force of attraction for their
electrons? [1 mark]
4. Which material has atoms with a stronger force of attraction for their
electrons? [1 mark]
Station #3 Electrostatic Series
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Copy missing materials on the electrostatic series chart
Use the chart to answer 4 questions
1. Copy the missing substances onto the electrostatic series chart. [2 marks]
Table 1.
Electrostatic Series
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Human skin
Rabbit fur
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Glass
Human hair
Nylon
____________
Cat fur
____________
Paper
Cotton
Wood
Amber
Rubber balloon
Vinyl
Polyester
____________
2. For each pair of substances rubbed together, consult Table 1 and decide
which substance will acquire a positive charge and which substance will
acquire a negative charge. [8 marks]
Example: amber rubbed with nylon?
Positive: nylon Negative: amber
a) acetate and silk?
Positive: ___________ Negative: _____________
b) fur and ebonite?
Positive: ___________ Negative: _____________
c) balloon and nylon?
Positive: ___________ Negative: _____________
d) wool and cotton?
Positive: ___________ Negative: _____________
Station #3 Electrostatic Series
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Copy missing materials on the electrostatic series chart
Use the chart to answer 4 questions
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Human skin
Rabbit fur
Acetate
Glass
Human hair
Nylon
Wool
Cat fur
Silk
Paper
Cotton
Wood
Amber
Rubber balloon
Vinyl
Polyester
ebonite
2. For each pair of substances rubbed together, consult Table 1 and decide
which substance will acquire a positive charge and which substance will
acquire a negative charge. [8 marks]
Example: amber rubbed with nylon?
Positive: nylon Negative: amber
a) acetate and silk?
Positive: ___________ Negative: _____________
b) fur and ebonite?
Positive: ___________ Negative: _____________
c) balloon and nylon?
Positive: ___________ Negative: _____________
d) wool and cotton?
Positive: ___________ Negative: _____________
Station #4
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Electroscope
Label the electroscope
Draw electroscopes that are neutral, positively-charged and
negatively-charged
Electroscope:
 An electroscope is used to detect an electric charge.
 If the electroscope is charged, the metal leaves will separate.
1. Label the electroscope. [3 marks]
2. Draw charges on the electroscopes to make one electroscope neutral, one
positively-charged, and one negatively-charged. [3 marks]
Neutral electroscope
Positively-charged
electroscope
Negatively-charged
electroscope
Station #5
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Glass Rod and Tap Water
Use a charged rod to move a stream of water
Draw a before and after diagram
1. Rub a glass rod with a piece of silk.
2. Turn on the tap so that a very fine stream of water is produced.
3. Hold the glass rod several centimetres away from the water and move the
glass rod straight up and down parallel to the stream of water.
4. Draw a diagram to show what happened to the water before and after you
brought the glass rod close to the water.
5. Use a paper towel to dry the glass rod.
Before: [1 mark]
Station #6
After: [1 mark]
The Force of Attraction
The Force of Attraction between a charged comb and neutral objects. For
example: coffee, paper punches, aluminum foil pieces and straws
Rub a comb with cloth. Approach one of the substances with the comb.
Record your observations in the table. Repeat the procedure for each
substance. [4 marks]
Substance
Observations
Station #7
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Attraction or Repulsion?
Rub acetate with cloth and approach it to another piece of acetate
rubbed with cloth.
Draw before and after diagrams
1. Suspend an acetate strip. Rub it with cloth.
2. Rub a second acetate strip with cloth and hold it close to the other acetate
strip.
3. Record your observations. [2 marks]
Observations:
Station #8
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A build-up of charge on a balloon
Write A on one side of a balloon and write B on the opposite side of a
balloon
Rub A and stick it to the wall.
Do not rub B and try to stick it to the wall
Draw diagrams to show what happened
Side A approaches the wall [1 mark]
Side B approaches the wall [1 mark]