PHYS 102 Chapter Notes - Chapter 16, 17, 19: Field Line, Electric Potential Energy, Electric Potential

• School: McGill University
• Department: Physics
• Course: PHYS 102
• Professor: Nick Provatas

Document Summary

16. 1 static electricity; electric charge and its conservation. All charged obj are either attracted to plastic and repelled by glass, or vice versa. Two types of charges; pos and neg. The net amount of electric charge produced in any process is zero; No net electric charge can be created or destroyed. When objects gain electric charge, they are charged for a limited time and then return to neutral because their charge transfers to polar water molecules in the air. Conductors allow transfer of charge; nonconductors or insulators do not. Electrons in insulating material is bound tightly to the nuclei. Electrons in conducting materials can move freely and are free electrons or conduction electrons. Charging by conduction or contact causes a neutral obj to gain the same charge. Charging by induction causes a neutral obj to gain the opposite charge. Grounding an obj allows the free electrons to escape to the earth which easily accepts electrons bc it is so big.