Static Electricity Notebook Labs

The following items should be in the Static Electricity portion of your notebook. They should be clearly organized and easy to find. Use an organizational system and label all work. Each lab will be graded separately.

SE1. Action at a Distance Lab

Question:
What are the three types of charge interactions?

Purpose:
To describe the three types of charge interactions and then to use a negatively charged balloon to determine the type of charge on the top triangle tape and the bottom rectangle tape.

A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion/Discussion of Results. The Data section should include observations of the interaction between paper and tape, two tapes charged in like manner, and the top triangle tape and the bottom rectangle tape, and both tapes and a negatively charged balloon. The Conclusion/Discussion should describe the three types of charge interactions; it should also state the charge on the two types of tape and describe the supporting evidence and logic which leads to such a conclusion.

SE2. Sticky Tape Experiments Lab

Question:
How do the variety of materials rank in terms of their relative affinity for electrons?

Purpose:
To charge a variety of materials by rubbing them together and to examine their interactions with a positive, negative and neutral object in order to rank the materials according to their relative affinity for electrons.

A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion/Discussion of Results. The Data section should include the provided table. The Conclusion/Discussion section should provide a ranking of the materials according to their relative affinity for electrons. Evidence for the ranking should be discussed. Any suspicious or inconsistent results should be discussed.

SE3. Pop Can Induction Lab

Question:
What is the result when two connected conductors are charged using an induction charging process?

Purpose:
To determine the result of charging by induction using a charged object and two initially connected conductors.

A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion/Discussion of Results. The Data section should include diagrams showing the steps of the induction charging process and diagrams and notes to show the test used to determine the charge of the two objects once charging was complete. The Conclusion/Discussion should clearly describe the result of the charging by induction, citing evidence from the Data section to support the conclusion.

SE4. Charging by Induction Lab

Question:
What type of charge is acquired by an aluminum pie plate when charged by induction with a positively- and a negatively-charged object?

Purpose:
To determine the type of charge an aluminum pie plate acquires charged by induction using a positively- and a negatively-charged object.

A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, a Conclusion and a Discussion of Results. The Data section should include a diagram which shows with sufficient detail the two methods which were used to charge the aluminum pie plate by induction. The tests used to identify the resulting charges are also represented in the diagram. The Conclusion answers the question posed in the Purpose of the lab. The Discussion of Results explains in words the evidence which supports the conclusions.

SE5. Electric Field Simulation

Question:
What variables do and do not effect the strength of the electric field intensity at a given location surrounding a source of charge?

Purpose:
To identify the variables which do and do not effect the strength of the electric field intensity at a given location surrounding a source of charge.

A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, a Conclusion and a Discussion of Results. The Data section should reveal a table of data which demonstrate a systematic approach to experimentation with the three possible variables and the resulting value of the electric field strength. Conclusion responds (as always) to the question posed in the Purpose. The Discussion of Results should describes specific data which serve as supporting evidence for the conclusion.

SE6. Coulomb's Law Lab

Question:
How many electrons are transferred from a balloon when rubbed 10 times with animal fur?

Purpose:
To use Coulomb's law and vector principles to determine the number of electrons which are transferred to a balloon as the result of 10 average-strength rubs on animal fur.

A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion. The Data section should include a diagram of the experimental setup with measured variables clearly identified. A systematic collection of calculations should be shown. Work should be labeled clearly and the logic behind each step should be briefly annotated. The Conclusion should (as always) respond to the question raised in the Purpose.

SE7. Electric Field Lines Lab

Question:
What is the nature of the electric field line pattern in the space surrounding a positive charge, a negative charge and a configuration of two or more charges?

Purpose:
To describe the nature of the electric field line pattern in the space surrounding a positive charge, a negative charge and a configuration of two or more charges.

A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion/Discussion of Results. The Data section should include several diagrams depicting the electric field line patterns for a positive charge, a negative charge, a configuration of two identically and two oppositely charged objects, and two other multi-charge configurations. The diagrams should include arrowheads on the electric field lines and contain a sufficient number of lines to provide a feel for the pattern. The Conclusion/Discussion should identify the general principles which characterize all the patterns.