Electric Charges: What Happens When a Rubber Cylinder is Rubbed with Wool?
What type of charge does a rubber cylinder accumulate when rubbed with wool? Why does wool acquire a different charge?
Options:
- Positive charge on the rubber cylinder and the wool
- Negative charge on the rubber cylinder and the wool
- Positive charge on the rubber cylinder and negative charge on the wool
- Negative charge on the rubber cylinder and positive charge on the wool
Answer:
When a rubber cylinder is rubbed with a piece of wool, the cylinder accumulates a negative charge. This means the correct answer is: Negative charge on the rubber cylinder and the wool.
When a rubber cylinder is rubbed with a piece of wool, the cylinder accumulates a negative charge. This occurs because electrons are transferred from the wool to the rubber cylinder during the rubbing process. As a result, the rubber gains an excess of electrons and becomes negatively charged, while the wool loses electrons and becomes positively charged.
This transfer of charges happens due to the difference in electronegativity between the materials. Rubber has a higher electronegativity than wool, causing it to attract electrons from the wool when they come into contact through rubbing. This exchange of electrons leads to the separation of charges on the materials.
So, when a rubber cylinder is rubbed with wool, the rubber cylinder accumulates a negative charge, while the wool acquires a positive charge. This phenomenon is a result of the movement of electrons between the materials, ultimately leading to the generation of electric charges.