Question
Electrons can be removed from some objects using friction , simply by rubbing one substance against another substance. There are many examples of objects becoming charged by friction, including a rubber comb through hair, and a balloon on a sweater In both these instances the electrons move from the second object to the first, causing the first object to become negatively charged and the second one positively charged. Friction between the tires on a moving car and the road cause the tires to become charged, and wind causes friction between clouds and air which causes clouds to become charged and can result in tremendous bolts of lightning. t t + his t t Morty rubs a balloon on his head and presses it to the wall. When he takes his hand away, the balloon sticks. Explain why this happens, mentioning positive/negative charge and flow of electrons.
Answer
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Leland
Veteran · Tutor for 12 years
Answer
When Morty rubs a balloon on his hair, electrons are transferred from his hair to the balloon because of friction. This makes the balloon negatively charged and Morty's hair positively charged. When pressed onto the wall, the balloon, with negative charge, induces a positive charge on the part of the wall closest to it and, due to the principle of "opposite charges attract", sticks to it when Morty's hand is taken away.
Explanation
## Step 1When Morty rubs a balloon on his hair, friction between the two objects causes some electrons to transfer from his hair to the balloon. This is due to the property of friction which can cause the transfer of electrons from one object to another.## Step 2As electrons carry a negative charge, this transfer of electrons gives the balloon a negative charge overall. ## Step 3On the other hand, Morty's hair loses electrons and becomes positively charged. This is because the removal of negatively charged electrons from a neutral object leaves the object with a more positive charge.## Step 4The principle that "opposite charges attract" applies. The balloon, with its negative charge, will be attracted to the wall, which is neutral overall.## Step 5Even though the wall is neutral overall, there is an uneven distribution of charges in the wall. The balloon's negative charge induces a positive charge on the part of the wall closest to it.## Step 6This induced positive charge on the wall is due to the principle of "opposite charges attract", which causes the negatively charged balloon to stick to the wall when Morty's hand is taken away.