Following a previous simulation on charging by induction, this simulation allows students to investigate the effects of performing the actions of bringing or removing a charged rod near a pair of conducting cans that can be placed in contact or separated-in any order they choose. Each sequence produces a distinct outcome: the cans may finish with opposite charges or both neutral. The simulation makes the invisible electron shifts clear, helping learners see exactly when charge flows between cans and when it merely redistributes inside a single conductor.
The above screenshot shows one possible state of the charges after a particular sequence of buttons are clicked. Could you figure out what is the order of buttons pressed?
In the topic of Static Electricity, charging by induction often presents a challenge for students. The process involves several invisible steps — the movement of electrons, the effect of grounding, and the lasting net charge after removing the influencing object. To bridge this gap between theory and understanding, I have created this interactive simulation to help students visualise the interactions and changes. Students can be asked to predict what will happen using various button sequences to help challenge students’ preconceptions about electric charge and behaviour during induction.
Refer to the scenario above. What will happen next if we: a) Remove the earth wire before removing the rod, or b) Remove the rod before removing the earth wire?
I like Canva for its ease of use and beautiful templates for creating simple infographics. This is an example of one that I did to simplify the content for IP4 Static Electricity.
This is an interesting question on electricity: in order to survive a lightning strike, which of the following costumes offer the best protection? A coat of armour, your birthday suit, a wetsuit or a superman costume? Watch this MinuteEarth video on Faraday’s cage to find out!
Hang the string from an elevated position. Leave the bottom end free.
Rub the PVC pipe with wool. This deposits negative charges, or electrons, onto the surface of the PVC pipe.
Place the side of the pipe that is rubbed near the string. You should notice the string being attracted towards the PVC pipe.
Holding the PVC pipe still while attracting the string, light a flame using the lighter and place it in between the string and pipe. You should observe the string falling back to its original position.
Science Explained
When air is ionised with the help of a flame, it serves as a conducting medium through which static electric charges can escape from a surface.
A thin stream of water can be easily bent using a plastic comb or ruler which was previously rubbed with wool. This demonstrates the attractive forces between unlike charges.
Materials
Plastic ruler
Wool
Water from a tap
Procedure
Turn on the faucet for the thinnest stream of water with a consistent flow.
Rub the plastic ruler with the wool.
Place the part of the ruler which was rubbed near the stream of water without touching.
Science Explained
Water molecules are polar in nature, which means that one side (where the oxygen atoms are) is more negative while another side (where the hydrogen atom is) is more positive. When wool is rubbed with plastic, it deposits electrons on the ruler.
The electrons will remain on the plastic as it is a poor conductor of electricity. When placed near the stream of water, the water molecules reorientate themselves such that the positive pole of each molecule is now nearer to the ruler than the negative pole.
The resulting attractive forces are stronger than the repulsive forces as the forces between charges decrease when the distance apart increases.
