Category: Physics Notes PPT

The research methods and techniques that are used by scientists in order to develop hypotheses, conduct experiments, gather and analyze data, and draw conclusions are known as scientific investigation. Sometimes the evidence does not provide enough solutions but it may lead to new issues for investigation. The methods used by scientists mainly to do scientific investigation involve scientific methods. The steps used by scientists to perform scientific investigation include the following though there may be slight variations-

↓

↓

↓

↓

↓

Let us study these steps in detail.

Making Observations

Almost every scientific investigation begins with an observation. Suppose you observe in your house that your coffee maker is not working.

Asking a Question

After we observe something unusual we often question ourselves. In this case, you might ask yourself whether there is something wrong with my electrical appliance.

Forming a Hypothesis

The next step comes down to the hypothesis. A hypothesis can be best described as the possible answer to a scientific question. It is very important for the hypothesis to be logical though it can be falsifiable. If we want to prove the hypothesis false, observations must be made that would disprove the hypothesis. In our example, we will see if there is something wrong with only this electrical appliance or all the electrical appliances.

Testing the Hypothesis

Whenever we want to test a hypothesis, a prediction is to be made first. Prediction is a statement that can tell us what might happen under certain conditions. It is often expressed in this manner: If X occurs, Y will happen. Therefore, on the basis of the hypothesis, you make a prediction. In our case, we will plug in another electrical appliance, supposedly a mixer, and check whether it is also not working.

Drawing Conclusions

In this step, we check the results of our test whether the evidence agrees with our prediction and supports our hypothesis or not. It is not always possible that a hypothesis can always be true as someday a piece of evidence might be found that may disprove the hypothesis. In our example, we find out that the mixer we plugged in is working fine.

Communicating Results

This is the last step while performing scientific experiments in which you communicate the results and learnings with others. It is one of the most important steps as it allows others to test your hypothesis. If the other researchers also get the same results while testing your hypothesis, they will add support to the hypothesis. It might also be possible that if the other researchers get different results, in this case, the hypothesis would be disproved. 

Do you know?

Scientific investigation is the heart of science.  A scientific investigation is conducted through a set of procedures- firstly it starts with making an observation, then asking a question, then comes the stage when one has to form a hypothesis and then test it, finally draw a conclusion and communicate the results.  It provides us with answers to matters unbeknownst to us.

When we are walking on the road at midday, we can observe our image on either of the four sides. This we call a shadow. Even though we all are very familiar with the shadow, we don’t know what a shadow is, how is it formed? Isn’t it? So we start learning about a shadow, how it forms, its sources, etc.

What is a Shadow?

A dark space or a region where an opaque object blocks the light rays is known as a shadow. The type of shadow formed depends upon the position and intensity of the source of the light. For example, in the early mornings and late afternoons, the shadows formed are elongated. But the shadow formed at noon is short and dark in nature when the sun is right above your head.

The nature of light sources can either be pointed or non-pointed (or extended). When the source of the light is a point source then there is a formation of a simple shadow known as umbra while if the source of the light is an extended light source then the shadow gets divided into the umbra, penumbra, and antumbra. These types of shadows can also be used to define the levels of darkness. 

When is a Shadow formed?

Whenever the light or sun rays are blocked by any object, a black area or region is formed in a particular shape based on the object or body behind it. This is the time when the shadow is formed.

How is a Shadow formed?

To explain what a shadow is? It is essential to learn and understand transparent objects and opaque substances. Because the shadow is a place or a region where the opaque substance may restrict the light not to enter by its race, the properties of that particular region where a type of shadow is formed is called the shadow.

It is easy to understand the shadow formation and know that type of shadow because the shadow can be formed by the Sun or by the light.

Shadow- Formation by Sun

Sun is a source of shadow to form. A shadow is formed when the sun’s rays are traveling in your straight line towards the earth.

The rays of the sun radiate outwards and these light rays travel nearly 300,000 km/sec in a straight line towards the earth. These light rays take only 8 minutes to reach us.  It directly touches the path on the ground. If the path is a transparent object, there will not be the formation of shadow. On the other hand, if it touches the opaque substance as a part, it avoids the race entering its region and results in shadow formation.

Whatever comes in the path of these rays, they hit that object. When the object that is hit by these rays is opaque, the object blocks the light and does not let these rays pass through, which leads to the formation of shadow. When the light cannot get through an object a shadow is formed on the other side of that object. Even though the shadow is the same as the object, it is not a reflection. 

Shadow- Formation by Light

Now, let us discuss light and the formation of shadows.

Along with the sun, there are many more sources of light which include light-bulbs, candle flames, computer screens, and glow-worms. Light can be observed in many forms like candlelight, sunlight, lamplight, electric light, computer light, etc. Each form of the source can create a shadow in the different scenarios. Based on the size of the light, the sharpness of shadow is observed. Shadows are formed because the movement of particles travels in light. Similar to the sunlight, the particles travel and choose a destination. If the destination is an opaque substance, it creates a blurred image based on the object’s size. If we use a mobile phone to spotlight, it gives a very small shadow. This might be helpful to explain how shadows are formed.

Just like the sun, the light from these sources also travels in a straight line but travels a shorter distance. When the contrast between the shadow and the lit surface is high, the shadows formed are more definite which is the reason why the shadows formed on a white surface can be seen more easily. The sharpness and blurriness of the shadow depend on the size of the light source. Small lights form distinct shadows while bigger lights form less distinct shadows as compared to the small lights. The shapes and sizes of shadows are dependent on the position of the light.

Size and Shape of a Shadow

While discussing shadow formation in physics, we understood how the shadow is formed. But it is also good to know about the size and shape of a shadow. It is entirely based on the size of the source object and the shape of the receiving object.

When a shadow is formed, we can observe the shape of The Shadow by the reflecting object. If it is a ball, the shadow will be circular. If it is a book, then the shadow will be either square or rectangular in shape. If it is a person, then the shape of the shadow will be a human being. Similarly, the sharpness of the shadow formed can be determined by the size of the source object. If the light rays reach the path in a big size like sunlight or tube light, the shadow has more sharpness. If the size of the source is tiny like cell phone light, Aura torchlight, etc., the shadow will appear blurred.

Seasons

Seasons are also factors that determine the size and shape of the shadow. When the shadow is formed, if it is summer, the days are bright and sunny. Then the sharpness of the shadow will be high, and it stays for a longer time. If shadows are formed in the rainy season, the light cannot travel through water, and we can’t observe sharp shadows. It can appear in a blur.

Conclusion

Here we understood what a shadow is and how it is formed. It is clear to us that when the shadow is formed how the shadow’s size and shape may change from time to time, season to season, object to object. After understanding the reasons, it is clear and able to explain how the shadows are formed and the sources approximately based on a shadow’s size and appearance.

Before we talk about the laws of refraction (class 10), let us briefly recapitulate the concept of refraction of light.

Refraction is the phenomenon of bending of the rays of light when light travels from one transparent medium to another, such as glass, air, water, etc. The construction of various optical instruments such as magnifying glasses, microscopes, telescopes, prisms is based on refraction. The natural phenomenon of rainbows is a consequence of the refraction of sunlight through water droplets in the air. Because of refraction, we can focus light on the retina of our eyes and see objects around us.

Cause of Refraction

So, why do light rays change direction when they move from one medium to another? The answer lies in the refractive index of the medium, which determines the behaviour of light in that medium. The change in the direction occurs since light, travelling from one substance to another, suffers a change in speed that depends on the material’s refractive index. For example, when the light goes from the air (less dense) to water (denser), its pace slows down, which causes it to change direction in the water.

Laws of Refraction

The laws of refraction or Snell’s laws  states:

• The normal boundary between the two media, the refracted ray, and the incident ray lies on the same plane.

• For a given pair of media, the sine value of the angle of incidence (denoted by sin i) divided by the sine value of the angle of refraction (denoted by sin r) is constant, which is known as the refractive index of the medium. The ray of light is moving towards the second medium to the former one and is given as 1µ2 = (Sin i/Sin r).

Note:

• When the ray of light is incident perpendicularly, the speed changes, but the direction remains unaltered.

• When light rays pass from a rare medium to a medium, which is, it inclines closer towards the normal.

• When light rays pass from a dense medium to a rare medium, it inclines away from the normal.

Experimental Verification of Snell’s Laws of Refraction

Now let us prove Snell’s law of refraction through a simple experiment:

Steps:

1. Put a rectangular slab of glass on a piece of paper, preferably white.

2. Trace the outline of the glass slab, as in the diagram.

3. Take away the slab and draw a normal named N1N2, which meets the slab at O.

4. Construct the incident ray on the paper termed IO inclined at an approximate angle of 30⁰ at O.

5. Embed a couple of pins termed P and Q on the line IO.

6. Now place the slab of glass within its outline ABCD.

7. By observing from the other end of the slab of glass, affix two more pins termed R and S in such a way that the four pins all come to lie on the straight line under consideration.

8. Now remove the slab of glass and all attachments. Label the positions of the pins on the paper. 

9. Connect the pin-points R and S and extend the line on either side. The line O’E denotes the emergent ray.

10. Join O and O’ to get the refracted ray (OO’). At this step, the normal, the incident ray and the refracted ray will all lie in the same plane, proving the first law of refraction.

11. Taking O as the centre, construct a circle of a suitable radius ‘R’ such that there are demarcations on both the incident and the refracted rays at the points labelled as F and G.

12. Construct perpendiculars from F and G to the normal.

13. ∆FHO and ∆GKO are right-angle triangles where,

sin i = FH/OF

sin r = GK/OG

Now, µ = sin i /sin r = FH/OF x GK/OG

Also, OF = OG = R

Therefore, µ = FH/OG x OG/GK

or, µ = FH/GK

14. Measure and record the values of FH/GK for different values of i. In each case, the ratio FH/GK should be the same, proving the second law of refraction.

Conclusion

This is the basic concept of optics that is will build a strong approach in higher concepts of physics in higher classes. The article covers all the basic information of Snell’s Law and its causes and experimental verification.

Some natural phenomena class 8 chapter 15 covers the following topics. The detailed view of class 8 science and some natural phenomena are provided in this article which enables students to understand class 8 some natural phenomena very easily.

 

Winds, storms, and cyclones are some natural phenomena. Those are phenomena of destruction. Two other destructive natural phenomena will be discussed here: lightning and earthquakes.

 

Electrically Neutral State of Matter:

• Most of the substances are neutral to electricity. An atom is composed of electrons, protons, and neutrons according to the basics of atomic structure. An electron carries a negative charge, a proton has a positive charge and a neutron has no charge.

• The number of electrons in an atom is equal to that of protons. The equal number of negative and positive charges are balancing among themselves. For this reason, most of the matter is electrically neutral.

 

Charging by Rubbing:

• Electrons may be transferred from one object to another upon rubbing two objects together. If an object loses any electron, it charges that object positively. If an object gains electrons, that object gets negatively charged. The static electricity is responsible for the transfer of charges in various objects. Static electricity is the principal reason for the illumination.

• Examples: 

(i) When brushed with dry hair, a plastic comb acquires a small charge.

(ii) It acquires a slight electric charge when a plastic refill is rubbed with polythene. 

(iii) The scale will draw very tiny pieces of paper as we rub a plastic scale on your dry hair.

 

Types of Charges and their Interaction

Activity (A):

• Two Inflated balloons hang them in such a way as not to touch one another. Rub both of the balloons and release them with a woolen cloth.

• We repeat that activity with the refills of the used pen. Refill one with polythene, then place it in a glass tumbler carefully. Refill the other with polythene too. Bring them close to the refill charged. We should not touch your hand to the charged edge.

• In both activities, the charged objects that were made of the same material and rubbed the same kind were brought closer together.

1. Observation:
   The balloons both repel each other.   An additionally charged refill repels.

2. Conclusion:
   Same kind of charges repel each other.

 

Transfer of Charge and Earthing:

Electroscope: 

• We take a bottle of empty jam and a piece of cardboard which is larger than the bottle ‘s mouth. Make a cardboard hole so that we can insert a paper clip made of metal. Clip of paper opened. Now we are cutting two-dimensional aluminum foil strips 4 cm /1 cm each. Hang them up as shown on the paper clip. We insert the paper clip perpendicular to the cardboard lid.

• By rubbing with polythene, we charge a refill, and touch it with the paper clip end. We observe they are repelling each other. Now that the paper clip ends, we touch other charged bodies. In all cases the foil strips act in the same way.

• Through the paper clip the aluminum foil strips receive the same kind of voltage from the charged refill (metals are good electric conductors) and repel each other and they become wide open.

• Such a tool could be used to check whether or not an object carries a charge. This device is called the Electroscope.

 

Earthing: 

• Electric charge may be passed via a metal conductor from one filled device to another. When we gently touch the end of the paper clip with a hand, we will find that the electroscope foil strips return to their original condition.

• We repeat charging foil strips and touching the clip-on paper. We will find that the foil strips meet each other as we touch the paper clip with our hands. The reason is that the film strips lose charge through your body to the earth and the film strips become discharged.

• The process of transferring charge to earth from a charged object is called earthing.

• Earthing is provided in buildings to protect us against electrical shocks, due to any electrical current leakage.

 

Lightning: 

• Lightning is a blinding flash of light with the sound of thunder during a thunderstorm. Lightning is also the movement of energy from cloud to cloud or from space to ground. In simple words, lightning is an electric bolt that happens in the atmosphere through rapid movement of air currents (upwards) and droplets of water (downwards) on a large scale.

 

The Story of Lightning: 

• The air currents travel upward while creating a thunderstorm, and the droplets of water move downward. Because of these vigorous movements the burden in the clouds is separated.

• The positive charges from these produced charges accumulate near the upper edges of the clouds, and the negative charges accumulate near the lower edges of the clouds. Researchers have yet to understand the exact reason for this. Positive charges are also piled up near the ground.

• Once charges accumulate becomes very high, air, which under normal environment is a very poor conductor of electricity, is no longer able to resist their surge. As a result, the electrical charges transfer to the ground and generate streaks of bright light and sound throughout the sky. The process is known as electric discharge.

 

Dangers of Lightning: 

Lightning Safety: 

• No open place is safe during lightning and thunderstorms. A house is a safe place, or a building.

• First thunder sign is a warning to hurry to a more secure place. We should wait for some time after hearing the last thunder before we come out of the safe place.

 

Earthquakes: 

• The earth’s rapid trembling or tremor, which lasts for a very short time, is considered an earthquake.

• It is caused by an upheaval deep inside the crust of the earth.

 

Causes of Earthquake: 

• The tremors are caused by the movement deep down within the earth’s uppermost layer, called the crust.

• The crust of the earth is made of several parts of landmass. Those are also plate tectonics. Such plates are in continuous movement. Because of impact, as they run through each other, or a plate passes under another. They cause changes within the surface of the earth. These vibrations, which show us on earth’s surface as an earthquake.

• Earthquakes are more likely to occur at the edges of tectonic plates. Many borders or weak areas are referred to as earthquake or fault zones. In India; Kashmir, the western and central Himalayas, the entire northeast, Rann of Kutch, Rajasthan, and Indo-Gangetic Plain are at high risk of earthquake activity. Some areas of South India also fall under the seismic zone and within the danger zone.

 

Seismograph: 

• Seismograph is a device that records the tremor-induced seismic waves. It is composed of an oscillator (a vibrating rod, or a pendulum), a typewriter and a paper roll. The oscillator is connected to the writing device.

• The oscillator will start vibrating in the event of an earthquake. This induces waves in the writing system and begins on paper to draw wave-like patterns. Scientists then study the wavelike pattern to build a complete map of the earthquake.

 

Richter Scale: 

• The strength of an earthquake is expressed on a scale called the Richter scale, in terms of magnitude.

• Charles Richter and Beno Gutenberg, of the California Institute of Technology, created the Richter Scale in 1935.

• This shows how intense an earthquake is. The Earthquake intensity is measured on a logarithmic scale from zero to 10.

• Richter is not linear in size. A magnitude increase of 2 on the Richter scale signifies 1000 times more destructive energy. Example: a magnitude 6 earthquake has a thousand times greater destructive energy than a magnitude 4 earthquake.

• This indicates how powerful an earthquake is. An earthquake’s intensity is measured at a logarithmic scale of zero to 10.

• Richter is not regular in size. A magnitude rise of 2 on the Richter scale means 1000 times more disruptive force. Example: a magnitude 6 earthquake holds thousand times more destructive energy than a magnitude 4 earthquake.

 

Damages Due to Earthquake: 

 

Protection Against Earthquake: 

• Some of the preventive measures are as follows for the prevention or minimisation of earthquake damage:

• The buildings should be designed to endure tremors of great magnitude. Consult architects and structural engineers who are qualified to design quake proof buildings.

• The use of mud or wood is safer than the heavy building materials to make the structures vulnerable to earthquakes.

• Cupboards and shelves should be fixed to the walls so that during an earthquake they don’t easily fall on someone.

 

During the Earthquake, Take the Following Steps to Protect Yourself:

1. At Home:

• We should hide under a table during an earthquake. If you’re in hospital, put an ointment on your head and don’t get out of bed.

• We should stay away from high and heavy objects which might fall on you because of tremors.

 

2. At Outdoors:

• We should try to move away from buildings and trees, and from overhead power lines and other structures in an open area.

• Do not come out when you are in a car or a bus. Ask the driver to slowly drive into a clear spot. Do not come out until the shiver stops.

 

Natural phenomena can be defined as a naturally occurring process that occurs without any human input.Examples of natural phenomena include weather, gravity, fog, thunder, tides, erosion, biological processes and oscillation etc.

 

Static Charges

Methods of Charging

A body can be charged by rubbing two surfaces to each other due to friction.The electrical charges that are  produced by the rubbing of two surfaces are called static charges.

 

Charging by Rubbing

Each and everyone of us has experienced this in our day to daylife that when objects like plastic get rubbed with hair, it attains a charge. In the same manner, a glass rod gets charged when rubbed with a silk cloth. The objects that are being rubbed get charged as they gain or lose electrons and hence they can attract or repel the small pieces of paper depending on the type of charge they are carrying at the time. So basically Like charges repel and unlike charges attract each other.

 

Electric Discharge

Electric Discharge is the process of flow of charge from one cloud to another or from cloud to earth due to the separation of positive and negative charges. During thunderstorms, air currents (that are warm in nature) move upwards and water droplets (cool in nature) move downwards. This causes a separation of charges among the clouds and between the clouds and the earth as well.

 

When the magnitude of charges increases, air, (a bad conductor) starts conducting. This facilitates the flow of electricity. This phenomenon is called lightning which is visible in the sky during a thunderstorm, as this flow of charge happens with bright streaks of light and sound.

• Lightning conductors help to protect buildings and large monuments during lightning.

• A Lightning conductor consists of a metallic rod that is taller than the building and is installed within the walls during construction. They act as a direct passage for electric discharge during lightning and safeguards the building from any calamity.

 

Earthquake

Earthquake is a natural phenomenon in which the surface of the earth starts trembling and shaking due to disturbances deep inside the earth’s crust. Earthquakes c
an be very dangerous and can cause large-scale damage to life and property.

 

Causes of Earthquake

Earthquakes are caused due to movement, shifting or collision of tectonic plates in the uppermost layer of the earth’s crust which leads to vibration on the surface.

 

Movement of Plates

Earth’s crust is divided into various fragments and each such fragment is known as a plate. These plates are constantly in motion and sometimes collide with each other, causing the earth surface to shake or tremble.

 

Seismograph

Seismograph is an instrument that is used to detect and record earthquakes. It takes the record of seismic waves caused by an earthquake. It consists of a mass that is attached to a fixed base, it starts vibrating when tremors occur.

One of the essential concepts due to which objects are visible to us is reflection. But how does this work? What is the phenomenon behind it? What are the different types of reflection? These are the basic concepts of science that every student must be well acquainted with. We provide insight into what reflection is and all that you need to know. This will help the students in getting a clear understanding of the concepts for better comprehension. We also provide these notes in PDF downloadable form allowing the students to study easily anytime, anywhere they want. 

Specular Reflection

It is also called regular reflection. This reflection usually takes place on smooth surfaces making the angle of incidence and angle of reflection equal. 

Diffuse Reflection

It is also called irregular reflection. This reflection usually takes place on rough surfaces, following which the angle of incidence and angle of reflection are unequal. 

Do all objects emit their own light? No. Rather, the visibility of objects is due to the reflection of light. Most objects reflect natural or artificial lights. The reflection of lights is tremendously impacted by the smoothness and roughness of the surface/object. 

Difference Between Regular Reflection and Diffused Reflection

Before understanding the difference, let us know the meaning of a beam and a ray of light. 

A beam of light consists of multiple individual light rays which are parallel to each other. And each ray of right follows the laws of reflection. But, this happens only in the case of smooth surfaces. On rough surfaces, every ray of light has a different orientation after reflection. 

Now, let us understand the difference between regular and diffuse reflection. 

Consider two different surfaces. Let one be a mirror (smooth surface), and the other be any rough surface (reddish). When white light is reflected on the mirror, it reflects all the white light components at the same angle as the incident light. The mirror does not absorb any component of any wavelength. However, this varies for a rough surface. When white light is reflected on the rough surface, it does not reflect all the wavelengths; rather, the blue and green are absorbed on the surface. Only the red light is reflected, causing the red colour of the surface. The colour is also visible due to the scattering of light on the surface. 

Specular and Diffuse Reflection Examples

There are several examples and applications of reflection that we experience daily. Here are some of the most interesting ones:

• Driving on a wet road at night becomes difficult because of reflection. This happens as a result of the glare that is caused because of the headlights. The glare happens as a result of the specular reflection. While usually, diffuse reflection takes place on the surface, it does not happen in case of wet roads. Water fills up the roads’ crevices, making it smooth, which further makes the light undergo specular reflection. 

• Another common example can be observed with photography. Many times we have seen photographs in which the photographer captures the reflection of the surface in water. This also occurs as a result of specular reflection. The light which reflects off the water undergoes specular reflection allowing the photographer to capture the shot easily. 

Does Diffuse Reflection Follow the Law of Reflection?

The law of reflection states that, for a smooth surface, when a ray of light is incident on the surface, the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. 

In the case of diffused reflection, the law of reflection is not followed because the rays scatter in different directions. 

Applications of Specular and Diffuse Reflection

Diffuse reflection and specular reflection can be used in a variety of ways. However, we will focus on two of the more notable applications here:

One application involves the challenge of driving at night on a wet asphalt highway as opposed to a dry asphalt roadway. Most drivers are aware that driving at night on a wet road is difficult due to glare from oncoming headlights. Glare is caused by the specular reflection of an oncoming vehicle’s light beam. Rough road surfaces generally generate diffuse reflection, but when wet, water fills the cracks and smoothes the surface. Light rays from an approaching car’s headlights strike this smooth surface, undergo specular reflection, and remain focused in a beam. The driver notices an obnoxious glare as a result of this concentrated beam of reflected light. The light rays strike this surface and are reflected in a specular direction.

The second use is related to photography. Most of us have seen a snapshot of a magnificent natural scene with a calm body of water in the foreground taken by a photographer. If the water is calm, we may see the specular reflection of light from the subject of the shot. Light from the subject can either hit the camera lens directly or through a longer path that includes reflections from the water. Because the light reflected off the water is specularly reflected, the incident rays stay focused (instead of diffusing). As a result, the light may travel together to the camera’s lens and generate a picture (an identical reproduction) of the subject that is powerful enough to be perceived in the photograph.

Laws of Reflection

The behavior of light is well-known to be very predictable. The law of reflection states that if a ray of light approaches and reflects off a flat mirror, the light’s behavior as it reflects will follow a predictable pattern. The Law of reflection states that:

• According to the law of reflection, the angle of the reflected ray is equal to the angle of the incident ray when reflected off a smooth finish surface with regard to the normal to the surface, which is a line parallel to the surface at the point of contact.

• At the point of contact with the incident ray, the reflected ray is always in the plane defined by the incident ray and the normal to the surface.

Static electricity (or simply static charge) is an imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material.

For instance, you might have seen a chain hanging at the back of a truck carrying inflammable products, like gas or oil and you might wonder what is its purpose? Well! The truck is usually insulated on the ground. However, the contact of the rubber tires on the road, and even the air blowing past can build up significant electrical charges, which may create the hazard of an ignition point for flammable vapour. So, to stop this danger, a hanging chain is tied at the back so that the charge flows down through it and the danger of fire is nullified (or the loss of static electricity); this is how static electricity works.

Now, here on this page, we will get to learn about what is static electricity along with the uses of static electricity and various static electricity examples.

How is Static Electricity Created?

We can create a static electric charge by rubbing two surfaces in contact that are at some distance. Also, at least one of the surfaces has a high resistance to electric current (and is, therefore, an electrical insulator).

So, this is how static current is produced. So, what is static energy? Let us understand how it is generated.  

Static Charge: How does Static Electricity Work?

Have you ever walked throughout the room to pet your dog, however, were given a surprise instead? Perhaps you took your cap off on a dry winter’s day and had a “hair elevating” at the wall after rubbing it against your clothes?

Why does this stuff happen? Is it magic? No, it’s now no longer magic; it’s static electricity!

All physical items are made from atoms. Inside an atom are protons, electrons, and neutrons. The protons are undoubtedly charged, the electrons are negatively charged, and the neutrons are neutral.

Therefore, all matters are made up of charges. Opposite charges attract each other (negative to positive). Like charges repel each other (positive to positive or negative to negative). Most of the time positive and negative charges are balanced in an object, which makes that object neutral.

Static electricity is the consequence of an imbalance between negative and positive charges in an object. These charges can accumulate at the surface of an object till they find a way to be discharged. One of the best ways to discharge them is via a circuit.

When you rub a balloon against your clothes and it sticks to the wall, you are including a surplus of electrons (negative charges) to the surface of the balloon. The wall is now more undoubtedly charged than the balloon. As the two come in contact, the balloon will stick due to the rule that opposites attract (positive to negative).

So, this is how we can generate static energy by using day-to-day examples. Now, let us go through various applications of static electricity.

Uses of Static Electricity

Below, you can find the real-life static electricity examples that will help you understand why do we have static electricity and its significance:

Static electricity is utilised in pollutants management by making use of a static fee to dust particles in the air after which collecting those charged particles on a plate or collector of the opposite electric charge. Such devices are frequently known as electrostatic precipitators

Factories use static electricity to lessen pollutants coming from their smokestacks. They supply the smoke with an electric-powered charge. When it travels by electrodes of the opposite charge, most of the smoke particles cling to the electrodes. This maintains the pollutants from going out into the atmosphere.

Some people purchase what is known as air ionizers to freshen and purify the air of their homes. The work is on a similar principle as the smokestack pollutants manage. These devices strip electrons from smoke molecules, dust particles, and pollen in the air, simply as what happens in creating static electricity.

These charged dust and smoke particles are then drawn to and stuck to a plate at the device with the opposite charge. After a while, lots of the pollutants are drawn from the air.

Since charged particles may even accumulate on neutral surfaces, a number of them can stick to the wall near the ionizer, making it very dirty and difficult to clean.

Your photocopier or Xerox system makes use of static electricity to replicate print to a page. This is done via the science of xerography.

One form of this device electrically charges ink so that it will accumulate on the paper in the detailed areas. Another model of a photocopier makes use of expenses to paste the link to a drum, which then transfers it to the paper.

Some car manufacturers use static electricity to assist them to paint the cars they make. The way this works is that they first prepare the automobile’s surface and then put it in a paint booth. Next, they supply the paint with an electrical charge after which they spray an excellent mist of paint into the booth. The charged paint particles are attracted to the car and stick to the body, just like a charged balloon sticks to a wall. Once the paint dries, it sticks lots better to the car and is smoother because it is evenly distributed.

From our above text on what is static electricity, we understand various applications of static electricity that include pollution control, Xerox machines, and painting. All these devices use the principle that opposite electrical charges attract. There are other uses involving the properties of repulsion and the production of static electricity sparks. Now, let us go through some facts on static electricity.

Facts on Static Electricity

Below are the facts on static electricity and electric discharge:

• Lightning is a huge form of static electricity that is formed when air rubs against the clouds!

• Static electricity never causes a high current unless it is on a larger scale, like lightning.

• By rubbing silk or a glass rod, we can produce positive-charged static electricity.

• For negative-charged static current, rub the fur on a plastic or rubber rod.

• Static electricity can also travel at the speed of light, i.e., 186, 282 miles per second!

• A spark of static electricity can measure thousands of volts, however, has very little current that lasts only for a short span.