Electrostatic Charging

When certain materials are rubbed together, electrons transfer from one to the other. The material that gains electrons becomes negatively charged; the one that loses electrons becomes positively charged. Like charges repel — opposite charges attract.

SP9.1sp Results Table

# Suspended rod Hand-held rod Attract or repel? Same or different charge?
1 Polythene Polythene
2 Acetate Acetate
3 Polythene Acetate
4 Acetate Polythene

Experiment Instructions

  1. Choose a material for the suspended rod (Polythene or Acetate) and click Rub with cloth to charge it.
  2. Choose a material for the hand-held rod and rub it with the cloth too.
  3. Drag the hand-held rod toward the suspended rod and observe how it reacts — the closer you bring it, the stronger the effect.
  4. Record your observation in the results table below — select Attract or Repel and whether the charges are the Same or Different.
  5. Click Reset and repeat for all four combinations in the table.
  6. When you have completed all four rows, click Check Answers to see if you are correct.