Static Electricity or Electrostatics

Peter Jeschofnig, Ph.D. Version 42-0278-00-01

Lab Report Assistant

This document is not meant to be a substitute for a formal laboratory report. The Lab Report Assistant is simply a summary of the experiment’s questions, diagrams if needed, and data tables that should be addressed in a formal lab report. The intent is to facilitate students’ writing of lab reports by providing this information in an editable file which can be sent to an instructor.

Observations

Questions
Part 1
Record your observations. Does the same thing happen when other charged objects are brought near the water? Try some and record the results. Be careful to NOT get the fur wet! * What I observed was that the water had a sound and it was a pop sound. The water actually would pick up making a popping sound. At least not with the ruler.

Part 5

1-d. Describe what you observed. Why does this happen? Use appropriate diagrams to help you explain. * I observed the ball attracted very fast to the ruler. And it stick to the ball for about 3seconds. This happen because no other conductor is touching the foil it is swinging so the foil is free to move that is why it happened.

2-d. Exactly what was the purpose of touching the ball while the ruler was nearby? * The purpose was to see if by touching the ball and not letting it swing with nothing disturbing it was going to make a difference. But it did not like you can see in this picture the ruler was still attracted to the ball.

2-e. Draw appropriate diagrams to support your verbal descriptions. You should draw more than one illustrative diagram for this section.

My finger Ruler Mass of the foil

4. Neutralize the aluminum foil ball. Bring the charged ruler close enough to the ball so that the ball gently and quickly touches it only once. Describe what you observe just after they touch. Explain