Electrostatic Charge

“Introduction to electrostatic charge and it’s usage”

What is electrostatic charge?

Electrostatic charge is the electric charge at rest on the surface of an insulated body (which establishes and adjacent electrostatic field). Electrostatic charge is the basic property of matter carried by some elementary particles. It can be either positive or negative, and is neither created nor destroyed. We are familiar with charge flowing through conductors which we usually call as electricity. Charge can also be present on insulator and is called as electrostatic charge because these materials do not allow the charge to flow. The word “static” itself means “stays still”. Some insulating materials can become electrically charged when rubbed against each other, the electrical charge then stays on the material but it is not discharged. Electrostatic charge builds up when electrons are rubbed off from one material to another. The material receiving the electrons become negatively charge and the material giving up electrons becomes positively charged.

Attraction and repulsion of electrostatic charge

When two charged materials are brought together, they exert a force on each other so they may attract or repel on each other. Attract means pull towards each other, repel means push away from each other. Opposite charges attract each other, same charges repel from each other. It means that two positive or two negative charged things will repel from each other, while one positive and one negative charged things will attract each other. The further apart the charged things are, the weaker the forces will be.

Are neutral objects attracted to charged objects?

It is found that a charged object may attract uncharged (or neutral) objects. For instance, a charged plastic comb may attract small piece of paper, just charge the comb by combing your hair. When a negative charged object gets close to a neutral object, electron in the neutral object are repelled and will leave positive...