Key Differences Between Electric Charge and Static Electricity
What is Static Electric Charge?
Static electricity or static electric charge is the energy that is responsible for severe electronic damage, static explosions, and other hazards. A static electric charge is an imbalance between the electric charges in the body. This imbalance is brought about by various physical factors. A typical example of the production of a static electric charge is when two solid objects come into contact. One object gives up electrons and becomes positively charged while the other becomes more negatively charged. There is a loss and gain of electrons on either side. Static electric charge is the phenomenon responsible for lightning striking our planet, or the sudden jolt that we feel when we brush against someone’s arms.
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Difference Between Static Electricity and Current Electricity
The most significant and observant difference between static electric and current electricity is that in the case of static electricity, the charges are at rest and are accumulation on the insulator surface. On the other hand, in current electricity, the electrons are moving inside the conductor. The cause of static electricity is the movement of negative charges from one object to another. The cause behind current electricity is the movement of electrons.
Static electricity can develop on both conductor and insulators, while current electricity develops only in the conductor. The time period of static electricity is very short, and it does not induce a magnetic field. Current electricity induces a magnetic field and exists for a very long period of time.
Current electricity is measured by a digital and analog meter, while the gold leaf electroscope measures the static electricity magnitude. These are a few of the fundamental differences between static electric and current electricity.
What are the Biological Effects of Exposure to Static Electricity?
Static electricity can't harm the human body significantly. This is because the body is mainly composed of water, and water is not a good conductor of electricity. Depending on the weather, the effects and chances of being exposed to static electricity increases. Dry and cool temperature results in increased effects of static electricity.
How to Avoid Static Electricity?
There are several ways in which one can avoid static electricity nowadays. When rubbed on carpets, dryer sheets reduce the effects of static electricity more than you can imagine. It is advised to avoid rubber soles shoes because the static energy keeps building up whenever you walk on a wool surface such as a carpet or a doormat. Leather soles shoes will be a better option in such a case.
Wool is the best conductor of static electricity. Even more than cotton, wool builds up quite a large amount of static energy. Avoid wearing wool during the dry season and replace it with cotton or something similar to it.
Features of Static Electricity
The charges must be at rest, or they should be stationary.
The charges generate electricity, which does not change with time, unlike current electricity.
The charges are held static as various forces work on them.
Electric fields produced by static electricity are constant. There are no electric currents.
Using humidifiers, air ionizers reduce the effects of static electricity.
Allowing fresh air to enter or even opening a window for a day reduces static electricity generation.
Solved Examples
1. Mention Some Static Electricity Examples.
Static electricity has several uses and samples in the real world. A very innovative static electricity example is when we slide down a slide, all of our hairs stand up straight. This happens due to the friction caused as a result of the sliding. Positive charge reaches the end of each hair strand, and they end up standing straight.
Another static electricity example is when we touch something metal, there is a small and quick spark which happens because the metal door is very conductive.
Fun Facts About Static Electricity
One spark of static electricity can measure at least a thousand volts. The current lasts for only a short period of time, though.
Lighting is the most potent and dangerous example of static electricity.
Although lightning is highly dangerous, about 70-80% of the people hit by a lightning bolt survive.
Static electricity builds up faster on a non-humid day.
A lightning bolt has a temperature of about 50,000 degrees F.
FAQs on Electric Charge and Static Electricity Explained
1. What is an electric charge and how does it relate to static electricity?
An electric charge is a fundamental property of matter, carried by particles like protons (positive charge) and electrons (negative charge), that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electric or magnetic field. Static electricity, also known as electrostatics, is the phenomenon that occurs due to an imbalance of these charges on the surface of an object, typically an insulator. This imbalance leads to an accumulation of charge that remains stationary, or 'static', until it can be discharged.
2. What are the three basic properties of electric charge as per the CBSE syllabus?
The three fundamental properties of electric charge are:
Additivity: The total charge of a system is the algebraic sum of all the individual charges present in it. Charges add up like real numbers, considering their positive or negative signs.
Conservation: The total electric charge in an isolated system remains constant. Charge can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be transferred from one body to another.
Quantization: All free charges are integral multiples of a basic unit of charge, denoted by 'e' (the charge of a single electron or proton). This is expressed as Q = ne, where 'n' is an integer and e ≈ 1.602 × 10-19 C.
3. What is the key difference between static electricity and current electricity?
The primary difference lies in the behaviour of the charges. Static electricity involves electric charges that are at rest (stationary) and have accumulated on the surface of an insulator. It creates an electric field but no continuous flow. In contrast, current electricity involves electric charges that are in continuous motion (a flow) through a conductor, forming an electric circuit.
4. What are some common real-world examples of static electricity?
Static electricity is observable in many everyday situations. Some common examples include:
A lightning strike during a thunderstorm, which is a massive-scale static discharge.
The crackling sound and sparks when taking off a woollen sweater in the dark.
Rubbing a balloon against your hair, causing the hair to stand up and stick to the balloon due to charge transfer.
Getting a small electric shock after walking on a carpet and then touching a metal doorknob.
5. Why does static electricity occur more frequently in dry weather than in humid weather?
This happens because air's conductivity changes with humidity. In humid weather, the air contains a higher concentration of water molecules. Water is a polar molecule that can conduct electric charge away from a body, preventing a significant static charge from building up. In dry weather, the air is a much better insulator, allowing charges to accumulate on surfaces until they reach a high enough potential for a noticeable discharge to occur.
6. How is the force between two static point charges calculated?
The force between two static point charges is calculated using Coulomb's Law. It states that the electrostatic force (F) is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the two charges (q1 and q2) and inversely proportional to the square of the distance (r) between them. The formula is given by F = k * |q1 * q2| / r², where 'k' is the electrostatic constant.
7. What is the importance of the superposition principle in electrostatics?
The superposition principle is crucial because it allows us to calculate the net force on a charge when multiple other charges are present. It states that the total force on a particular charge is the vector sum of the individual forces exerted on it by all other charges. This means we can analyse the effect of each charge one by one and then combine their effects to find the resultant force, simplifying complex multi-charge problems.
8. Is static electricity considered dangerous?
While most everyday static shocks are harmless and just a minor annoyance, static electricity can be dangerous in certain situations. A large-scale discharge like lightning is extremely hazardous. Furthermore, in industrial environments dealing with flammable substances (like fuel depots or grain silos) or sensitive electronics, a small static spark can be enough to cause a fire, explosion, or destroy delicate components.
