IP Physics Notes (Upper Secondary, Year 3-4): 10) Static Electricity

Q: What does IP Physics Notes (Upper Secondary, Year 3-4): 10) Static Electricity cover?
A: Charging methods, electric field patterns, real-world applications, and safety for static electricity questions.

Quick recap -- Static electricity tracks how charges accumulate, move, and interact via electric fields. Watch electron transfer, sketch field lines correctly, and relate the principles to photocopiers, paint sprayers, and safety controls.

Keep your practice loop tight via our IP Physics tuition hub-it links each topic here to quizzes, diagnostics, and WA-style problem sets.

Charge Basics

• Charge comes in positive or negative units; SI unit coulomb $\pu{C}$.
• Like charges repel; unlike charges attract.
• Conservation of charge: total charge in an isolated system stays constant.
• Only electrons move in everyday charging processes; protons remain fixed in nuclei.
• Charging methods:
  • Friction: electrons transferred between insulators (e.g., polythene rod and wool).
  • Conduction: direct contact lets electrons flow between conductors.
  • Induction: charged object polarises a neutral conductor; grounding can lock in opposite charge.

Conductors vs Insulators