![]() And if a conducting pathway is made between a collection of electrons and an excess proton, one can be certain that there is likely an electron that would be willing to take the pathway. It can however attract a mobile electron towards itself. However, since a proton is tightly bound in the nucleus of an atom, it is incapable of leaving an atom in search of that longed-for electron. ![]() It is not satisfied until it has found a negatively charged electron with which to co-habitate. In human terms, we could say that each excess proton is rather discontented. When looked at from an electron perspective, a positively charged aluminum plate has a shortage of electrons. A positively charged aluminum plate has an excess of protons. The diagram below depicts the use of a positively charged aluminum plate being touched to a neutral metal sphere. But what happens if a positively charged object is touched to a neutral object? To investigate this question, we consider the case of a positively charged aluminum plate being used to charge a neutral metal sphere by the process of conduction. When finished, both objects were negatively charged. Upon contact, electrons moved from the negatively charged object onto the neutral object. The previous example of charging by conduction involved touching a negatively charged object to a neutral object. The metal sphere is still charged negatively, only it has less excess negative charge than it had prior to the conduction charging process.Ĭharging by Conduction Using a Positively Charged Object When the process of charging by conduction is complete, the electroscope acquires an excess negative charge due to the movement of electrons onto it from the metal sphere. In general, the object that offers the most space in which to "hang out" will be the object that houses the greatest number of excess electrons. Once the contact of the sphere to the electroscope is made, a countless number of excess electrons from the sphere move onto the electroscope and spread about the sphere-electroscope system. Given this understanding of electron-electron repulsions, it is not difficult to predict what excess electrons on the metal sphere would be inclined to do if the sphere were touched to the neutral electroscope. In human terms, electrons living in the same home despise each other and are always seeking a home of their own or at least a home with more rooms. If there was ever a conducting pathway to a more spacious piece of real estate, one could be sure that the electrons would be on that pathway to the greener grass beyond. The perimeter the sphere is the extreme to which they can go. A negatively charged metal sphere has an excess of electrons those electrons find each other repulsive and distance themselves from each other as far as possible. Understanding the process demands that you understand that like charges repel and have an intense desire to reduce their repulsions by spreading about as far as possible. To explain the process of charging by contact, we will first consider the case of using a negatively charged metal sphere to charge a neutral needle electroscope. ![]() Because charging by conduction involves contact, it is often called charging by contact.Ĭharging by Conduction Using a Negatively Charged Object In contrast to induction, where the charged object is brought near but never contacted to the object being charged, conduction charging involves making the physical connection of the charged object to the neutral object. Each of these examples involves contact between a charged object and a neutral object. The neutral physics student becomes charged as the result of contact with the Van de Graaff generator. And finally, suppose that an uncharged physics student stands on an insulating platform and touches a negatively charged Van de Graaff generator. The neutral electroscope becomes charged as the result of being contacted by the metal sphere. Or suppose that a negatively charged metal sphere is touched to the top plate of a neutral needle electroscope. The neutral metal sphere becomes charged as the result of being contacted by the charged aluminum plate. Suppose that a positively charged aluminum plate is touched to a neutral metal sphere. As was the case for charging by friction and charging by induction, the process of conduction will be described and explained using numerous examples of electrostatic demonstrations and lab experiments.Ĭharging by conduction involves the contact of a charged object to a neutral object. In this section of Lesson 2, a third method of charging - charging by conduction - will be discussed. In the previous two sections of Lesson 2, the process of charging by friction and charging by induction were described and explained.
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