Science - Electrically Charged Objects Day 2 CHARGED OBJECTS

Science - Charged Objects

SC.5.P.10.3 Investigate and explain that an electrically charged object can attract an uncharged object and can either attract or repel another charged object without any contact between the objects.​

Multiple Choice

On picture day, a student used a plastic comb to comb his hair before his picture. When he got the pictures back, he laughed because the hair on top of his head was standing up. Which of the following is the BEST explanation why the student’s hair was standing up after being combed?

• the hair became magnetically charged after being combed

• the force of the comb’s motion caused the hair to stand up straight

• the plastic comb rubbed against the student’s hair, causing it to become electrically charged and the student’s hair was pushing against itself

• the student’s hair just stands up anyway

​Charged Objects

​Objects can become electrically charged when they rub against other objects. Not everything does this: things like wool and plastic spoons, or balloons and hair, or socks... and everything else... seem to do this better than other objects.

​When a plastic spoon is rubbed against a piece of wool, the spoon becomes electrically charged. Electrically charged objects can attract other objects without touching those objects. A plastic spoon, when charged, will attract, or pull, small particles like pepper up into to air and cause them to stick to the spoon.

Multiple Choice

Electrically charged objects can ______________ without touching those objects.

• repel other objects

• can magnetize

• attract other objects

• create an electrical circuit

Multiple Choice

An object becomes charged when the atoms in the object gain or lose

• electrons
• protons
• neutrons
• all of the above

Multiple Choice

If you rub a glass rod with a piece of silk, the rod becomes positively charged. This means that

• friction destroyed electrons in the rod.
• the silk has become negatively charged.
• protons have moved to the rod.
• glass attracts more protons.

​This effect is more noticeable in dry air: humidity can reduce this effect. Sometimes, when you put freshly cleaned clothes on, you may notice that they stick, or cling, to your body. Maybe you have noticed a pair of pants that seems to stick to your legs when you wear them. This is called static cling, and is caused by the clothes becoming electrically charged when they rub against all the other clothes in the dryer.

Multiple Choice

Static electricity is the _______________ form of electricity.

• human-harnessed (man-made)

• natural

Multiple Choice

Where does static electricity happen?

• where there are electrical wires

• anywhere electric charges build up

• only in outer space

• underground

Multiple Select

Click all that are examples of getting an electric shock from static electricity.

• person shocking another person by touching them

• person getting shocked by touching metal frame as they are getting off a trampoline

• person getting shocked by grabbing an electric fence

• person getting shocked by holding a live electrical wire

Multiple Choice

All examples of static cling happen in a clothes dryer.

• True

• False

​On a very dry day, you may notice a small shock when you touch a doorknob, or even someone else. You have become electrically charged as your feet rubbed across a carpet when you walk across the room. That charge suddenly jumps to the doorknob when you reach out to open in: this is static discharge. This is how lightning happens.

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Multiple Choice

The difference between attraction and repulsion is that to attract is to pull something closer and repel is to push something away.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

What happens when you touch a metal doorknob after rubbing your shoes on the carpet?

• The doorknob sends a burst of electric current into your body

• Millions of electrons go from your finger into the doorknob

• The doorknob sends millions of electrons into your finger

• Your finger becomes negatively charged

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is caused by static electricity?

• a stove getting hot when it is turned on
• a magnet being attracted to a refrigerator
• a lightning strike during a storm
• a light bulb coming on when a switch is turned on

​The Earth always has an electrical charge. When air above the Earth begins to move, like in a storm, the rubbing of the air against itself cause the air to become electrically charged. When the charge gets large enough, it will discharge with the Earth, causing lightning. This is the same thing that happened when you touched the doorknob.

Multiple Choice

What is the major difference between static electricity and current electricity?

• Current electricity involves a continuous flow of elecrons; static electricity is a sudden transfer of protons

• Current electricity can be deadly; static electricity is almost always safe

• In current electricity, there's a single transfer of electrons; in static electricity, there's a steady flow of electrons

• Current electricity involves a flow of electrons; static electricity involves a single transfer of electrons