Matter is made up of atoms consisting of electrons, protons, and neutrons. Electric charge is a fundamental property of electrons and protons. During combing, electrons move from hair to comb due to the comb having a higher affinity for electrons. This creates an imbalance of charge and an attractive electric field between the comb and hair. If a wire connects the comb and hair, electrons will flow through the wire until the potential difference is neutralized. A battery uses stored chemical energy to create a difference in electric potential between its terminals, called voltage, which pushes electrons. The rate of electron flow is called current. Voltage exists between any two points with a potential energy difference, even if there is no current flowing.

1. Very
Small
The energy
from friction
helps in electron
release
The hair
stands up
due to
attraction
Field line
direction is
same so
move away
Field line
direction is
same so
move away
Its a match!
Unlike charges
attract
But they
can receive
electrons
Almost
have no
weight
Only outer
electrons
can be
shared
Voltage is
potential
energy per
unit charge
Current is
uniform flow
of charge
Highly
Mobile
Less
Mobile
Big
Heavy
Loosely
held by
atom
Very
strongly
held by
atom
Protons
can’t be
shared
Hence,
CONDUCTORS
have ‘free’
electrons
Hence,
INSULATORS
can’t share
electrons
Electrons flow
in a conductor
by the same
force produced
in electrostatics
A battery has
stored chemical
energy.
Its measure
of ‘push’
available to
motivate
electrons
It gets released
when battery
terminals are
connected with
a wire.
Like charges
drive each
other away
CHARGEINTERACTION
WATERANALOGY
ELECTRON-POOLBALLANALOGY
RESERVOIR
PUMPING
TO HIGHER
LEVEL
COMBING
RELEASING
POTENTIAL
ENERGY
STORING
POTENTIAL
ENERGY
POND
COMB
ATOMSINTHEWIRE
ELECTRONFLOW
Electron
jumping
Gives
Electron
Pulls
Electron
HAIR
POCKET
Voltage
WATER
FLOW
CURRENT
FLOW
=
PUMP BATTERY=
Matter is made up of tiny
“buiding blocks” called atoms,
which consists of electrons,
protons & neutrons. Electric
Charge (Q) is a fundamental
quantity of electron ( Charge)
& proton ( Charge).
During combing, electrons
move from hair to comb as
comb atoms have more “love” for
electrons. Any kind of friction that
causes such charge separation is
called frictional charging. Hence,
hair and comb attract each other.
Electron imbalance only creates
an attractive force between
comb & hair as no path for the
flow of electrons exists. If a
wire bridges the gap between
charged comb & hair then
electrons flow to hair until the
potential difference is neutralised.
The difference in electric
potential between the two battery
terminals pushes the electrons.
This ‘push’ is called voltage (V).
The rate of flow of electrons due to
voltage is called current (I).
Voltage, as an expression of
potential energy, is always relative
between two points. In a broken
circuit, the path for flowing of
electrons is broken, I=0, while
‘voltage drop’ exists at the
broken ends of the wire similar to
charged comb and hair.
ATOM
ELECTRICCHARG
E
ELECTRICFIELD
V
O
LTAGE&CURRE
N
T
F
R
ICTIONALCHARG
I
N
G
DISCHARGING
electrons
move from
hair to
comb
ELECTRON
COMB HAS HIGHER ELECTRON
AFFINITY THAN HAIR
DIRECTION OF ELECTRON FLOW
CONVENTIONAL DIRECTION OF CURRENT FLOW
POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE CAUSES
ELECTRONS TO MOVE
ATOM IN
HAIR
ELECTRON
RELEASED
ELECTRIC FIELD LINES REPRESENT
DIRECTION OF ELECTRIC FIELD
AN ELEC TRICAL ENGINEER’S VIEW OF
CURRENT AND VOLTAGE
Like
charges
repel
HAS POSITIVE E POTENTIAL
STINKY-FIELDANALOGY
SOURCE
CHARGE
TEST
CHARGE
SMELL
DETECTOR
CHARGE
DETECTOR
NOSE
STINKY
DIAPER
STINKINESSREDUCES
Stink
drives us
away
Force exerted
reduces with
distance
Diaper has
its own
stink field
like the
charge
ESTRENGHTREDUCESDISTANCE(D)INCREASES
Q
E
D2
Every charged entity has an area
where it exerts a noticeable
force on other charged entities.
This invisible field is called
Electric Field (E) & is shown
by imaginary field lines. The
force is result of the difference in
E potential of charges involved.
Height
Difference
DEFICIENCY OF ELECTRONS
Electric Charge can be positive or
negative. All matter is inherently
neutral but when enough energy is
provided electron imbalance occurs
which leads to separation of
charges into and .
Comb
gets
charge
EXCESS OF ELECTRONS
ELECTRON
FLOW
V I
ATTRACTION
Hair
gets
charge
CHARGE
ON ATOM
=
BROKENCIRCUIT
I = 0
V ≠ 0
CURRENT CAN’T FLOW WHEN THE
CIRCUIT IS BROKEN
SOURCES
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/estatics/Lesson-4/Electric-Field-Intensity
http://homes.ieu.edu.tr/cguzelis/ETE100/ee_int_book_1.pdf
http://www.tubebooks.org/books/happell_engineering.pdf
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/estatics/Lesson-2/Charging-by-Friction
https://goo.gl/WJhwWB
http://amasci.com/miscon/voltage.html
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/direct-current/chpt-1/voltage-current/
https://goo.gl/LnPE9S
© 2016 RAUNAQ SHAH