Question

Experiment 2: Static Materials

Data Tables and Post-Lab Assessment

Table 2: Static Electricity Properties of Various Materials

Type of Plastic	Type of Fabric	Observations
Acetate	Wool
Acetate	Cotton Cloth
Vinyl	Wool
Vinyl	Cotton Cloth
Polyethylene	Wool
Polyethylene	Cotton Cloth

Post-Lab Questions

1. What happens when you bring the charged plastic strip near the paper pieces? Why does this happen?

2. Draw a free body diagram of the forces acting on the piece of paper.

3. Why does the electric force easily overcome the force of gravity and lift the paper off the surface without even touching the paper?

4. Which of the materials pick up positive charge and which pick up negative charge? How did you determine this?

Answer 1

1. What happens when you bring the charged plastic strip near the paper pieces? Why does this happen?  

ANSWER : when we bring the charged plastic strip near the paper pieces , paper peices get attracted to plastic strip, this is becaue both plastic strip and paper having opposite charges.

2. Draw a free body diagram of the forces acting on the piece of paper.

ANSWER : Free body diagram will have Electrostatic vertical upward force due to plastic strip and gravity force acting vertically downward.

3. Why does the electric force easily overcome the force of gravity and lift the paper off the surface without even touching the paper?

ANSWER : This because  electrostatic forces are much stronger than gravity. these(Electrostatic ) forces are is 10³⁶ times stronger than gravity forces

4. Which of the materials pick up positive charge and which pick up negative charge? How did you determine this?

ANSWER: We can use the help of battery and thin aluminium foil, to find the type of charge. Cut out 2 thin strips of aluminium foil and attach one end of each strip to the 2 terminal ends( positive end and negative end) and let other end of 2 strips hang freely downwards. Now bring plastic strip close to both ends. we will observe plastic strip repels the at negative end. Hence we can conclude plastic strip is negatively charged and similarly for paper we can say it is positively charged