Understanding Static Electricity

What causes a small electric shock when you touch a metal object?

• A power source

• Static electricity

• Magnetic fields

• Heat

What is static electricity?

• A flow of electric current

• A buildup of electric charge on an object

• A type of magnetism

• A form of light energy

What are atoms made up of?

• Protons and neutrons only

• Electrons and protons only

• A positively charged nucleus and negatively charged electrons

• Neutrons and electrons only

What happens when you rub two neutral electrically insulating objects together?

• They become magnetic

• Electrons are transferred, creating a charge imbalance

• They produce light

• They become warmer

What type of forces are created by the combination of charges on nearby objects?

• Contact forces

• Gravitational forces

• Non-contact forces

• Nuclear forces

What happens when opposite charges are near each other?

• They repel

• They attract

• They neutralise

• They explode

What happens when like charges are near each other?

• They attract

• They repel

• They neutralise

• They combine

What happens when a negatively charged balloon is held near an uncharged wall?

• The wall becomes negatively charged

• The wall becomes positively charged

• The balloon sticks to the wall

• The balloon falls to the ground

What is the purpose of a Van de Graaff generator?

• To create magnetic fields

• To build up electrical charge

• To generate heat

• To produce sound

How can you discharge a charged object?

• By heating it

• By cooling it

• By giving it a way to drain its electrons into the ground

• By shaking it