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GCSE Questions: Static Electricity

Q8. Cordelia rubs a rubber balloon against the sleeve of her woollen jumper. The balloon becomes negatively charged.

(a)

(i) Complete the sentence using one of the following words:

electrons
neutrons
protons

 

The balloon becomes negatively charged because it gains electrons from the jumper.

[1 mark]

(ii) After charging the balloon, what is the overall charge left on her jumper?

A positive charge

It was neutral but has now has lost negative electrons to the balloon - so it is left with a positive charge.

[1 mark]

(b) The diagram shows two identically charged balloons hanging close together.

(i) Complete the following sentence.

[1 mark]

The balloons carry the same type of charge and so repel each other.

(ii) From the diagram, what can you conclude about the sizes of the forces acting on the balloons?

They are equal

[1 mark]

(c) A lightning conductor attached to the outside of a building reduces the risk of damage being caused to the building by a lightning strike.

If the building is struck by lightning the electrical charge flows through the lightning conductor to earth.

(i) Through which one of the following materials can electrical charge flow easily?

copper
plastic
rubber

[1 mark]

(ii) What happens to the temperature of a lightning conductor when electrical charge flows through it? Tick one box.

the temperature decreases
the temperature does not change
  
the temperature increases

[1 mark]

(iii) During a lightning strike, 4.0 C of charge flow through a lightning conductor in 0.002 s.

Calculate the current that flows through the lightning conductor.

Current = charge/time

I = Q/t

I = 4.0/0.002 = 2000 A

[3 marks]

[Total 9 marks]