The Electrical Nature of Matter

MatterMatter – anything that takes up space and has mass

Matter is made of atoms which have 3 parts Protons - _______ charge, located ________Neutrons - _______ charge, located _________Electrons - ______ charge, located _________

AtomsThe basic structure of an atom has a centre (nucleus) with electrons around the outside…

Atoms…

MatterMatter – anything that takes up space and has mass

Matter is made of atoms which have 3 parts Protons - + charge, located in the nucleusNeutrons - 0 charge, located in the nucleusElectrons - - charge, located around the outside ONLY ELECTRONS MOVE IN ELECTRICITY – small and around the outside of an atom!

• In some elements like copper, electrons can move more freely = good conductors

• In other elements like sulphur electrons are held strongly = insulators

Which are good conductors?

• Wooden block• Plastic water bottle• Metal fork

Insulators and Conductors

Law of Electric Charges

Like charges repel one another, and unlike charge attract one another

“Opposites Attract”

OR

BUT……..

Observation

- When 2 charged objects come closer together the attraction or repulsion increases (opposite for when they are moved further apart)Charles-Augustin de Coulomb

Static Electricity

• a charge on a substance that stays in the same place (static = not moving)

• electric charges: + and – stay in place

• If more e- than p+ build up then the object becomes _________ charged.

• If less e- than p+ build up then the object becomes __________ charged.

Static Electricity

Neutral Positive Negative