Electricity Q&A's

1. How does something become charged? What is an Ion?

To charge something you must rub an object against another. For example, if you take a rubber rod and rub it against hair then the rod acquires a negative charge. When you take a plastic rod and rub silk on it acquires a positive charge. An Ion is a positive charged atom.

2. How is an atom arranged?

Neutrons and Protons are in the middle and on the outside are electrons floating around

3. What does it mean for something to become polarized?

When something is that when an neutral item the positive goes on one side and electrons go to another.

4. What is an insulator,and conductor?

Insulators cannot have electrons travel through it and conductors can have electrons travel through it.

5. What does it mean for two items to be electrically attracted?

It means that two objects of opposite charges attract. When you have a ball that has negative charge and a another with a positive charge they attract because the negative charge pulls the positive closer to it.

6. Why does a negatively charged balloon pick up electrically neutral pieces of paper?

The balloon polarizes the neutral paper

7. What is an electric field? (answer in paragraph form)
a. What is the purpose of a positive test charge in an electric field?

An electrical field is the space around the charge when another charge is in the field forces act upon it. the length between the charges is inversely proportional to its strength. The further it charges from the other the less the electrical field is. An electrical field is similar to gravity in the sense that the further you are from the earth the less you are affected by the gravitational field.

8. In you own words explain how electric potential is measured and what it is.

Electric potential is the potential energy built up divided by the charge. Electric potential energy is built up when you exert force onto a positive against a positive or a negative against a negative.