Charging an Object by Rubbing (or Friction)
The method of charging an object is to rub it with another suitable object
(such as silk cloth, woollen cloth, hair, paper or polythene, etc.). When an
object is rubbed with another object, then there is friction between them.
This friction charges the object.
The charging of an object by rubbing it with another object is called
charging by friction.
(1) The charging of a glass rod by rubbing it with a silk cloth.
(2) When a plastic comb is rubbed with dry hair, the plastic comb
acquires an electric charge due to friction.
(3) When a ball point pen refill is rubbed vigorously with a piece of
polythene, the refill acquires electric charge by friction. The charged refill
can attract tiny pieces of paper kept near it.
(4) When an inflated rubber balloon is rubbed with a piece of woollen
cloth, it gets charged due to friction.
The electric charges generated by rubbing (or friction) are static electric
charges.
These electric charges remain bound on the surface of the charged object
They do not move by themselves.
All the insulator objects (like glass rod, plastic comb, plastic scale, plastic
straw, ball pen refill and rubber ballon, etc.) can be charged by rubbing
while held in hand. This is because being insulators , they do not conduct
electric charges produced on their surface through our hand and body into
the earth.
Conducting objects made of metals (like a steel spoon) cannot be charged
by rubbing while held in hand. This is because , the electric charges
produced on its surface flow through our hand and body into the
earth. And the conductor object (like a steel spoon) remains uncharged. A
metal object (like a steel spoon) can be charged by rubbing only when
held by an insulation material like polythene.
Friction Charges Both the Objects Which are
Rubbed Together
When two objects are rubbed together, then both the objects get charged
by friction (but with opposite charges). For example
(1) When a glass rod is rubbed with a silk cloth, then both, the glass rod
as well as the silk cloth get charged. The charged glass rod can attract
tiny pieces of paper and the charged silk cloth can also attract tiny pieces
of paper. The electric charges acquired by glass rod and silk cloth are,
however, opposite in nature. The electric charge acquired by a glass rod
(rubbed with silk) is positive charge whereas the silk cloth gets a negative
charge.
(2) When we rub a ballpoint pen refill with a piece of polythene, then
both, the refill as well as polythene get charged. The point pen refill
acquires a positive charge whereas polythene gets the negative charge.
All the objects made of clear plastic called acrylic plastic get positive
charge on rubbing. All the objects made of polythene plastic gets negative
electric charge on rubbing.
3) When we rub a plastic comb in dry hair, then both, the comb and hair
get charged but with opposite charges. The plastic comb gets negative
charge whereas the hair get positive charge. Again when we rub an
inflated rubber balloon with a piece of woollen cloth, then both, the
balloon as well as woollen cloth get electrically charged but with opposite
charges. The rubber balloon gets negative electric charge whereas the
woollen cloth acquires positive electric charge.
Which object will get positive charge and which object will get negative
charge, depends on the nature of materials of which the two objects are
made.
