Chapter 12: Static Electricity

Basic principles of electrostatics are introduced in order to explain how objects become charged and to describe the effect of those charges on other objects in the neighboring surroundings. Charging methods, electric field lines and the importance of lightning rods on homes are among the topics discussed in this unit.

Lesson 1: Charge and Charge Interactions Basic Terminology and Concepts

  1. The Structure of Matter
  2. Neutral vs. Charged Objects
  3. Charge Interactions
  4. Conductors and Insulators
  5. Polarization

Lesson 2: Methods of Charging

  1. Charging by Friction
  2. Charging by Induction
  3. Charging by Conduction
  4. Grounding - the Removal of a Charge

Lesson 3: Electric Force

  1. Charge Interactions Revisited
  2. Coulomb's Law
  3. Inverse Square Law
  4. Newton's Laws and the Electrical Force

Lesson 4: Electric Fields

  1. Action-at-a-Distance
  2. Electric Field Intensity
  3. Electric Field Lines
  4. Electric Fields and Conductors
  5. Lightning
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