Explain how rubbin fur on an ebonite rod produces a charge on the rod. What chrage is produced in the rod?

Question

I understand the question, but how am I to know if it will have a positive or negative charge? Also, I don't quite understand how you charge something electrically by rubbing i, so I would really appreciate an explanation. Thank you! :-)

Answer 1

http://www.thebakken.org/electricity/science-of-static.html

Answer 2

With regard to how to know if the ebonite rod acquires a positive or negative charge, you have to do the experiment to find out, and compare the result with other materials that are defined to have a particular charge.

The tradition that electrons are called "negative" is the result of an arbitary decision by Benjamin Franklin to call one the rubbed objects in his experiments (a glass rod which happened to have a deficiency of electrons) "positive". A rubber rod rubbed with fur has opposite charge. To understand why would require a complex theoretical anaylsis of the rubbing process and the electron affinity of the two materials being rubbed.

For more about that, see http://books.google.com/books?id=OwdAkGQ3AZYC&pg=PA605&lpg=PA605&dq=%22Benjamin+Franklin%22+positive+glass+rod&source=web&ots=snTL0UzdS0&sig=jwzFMxLfLsGBRqB9855g6W2yzso&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result

Answer 3

thank you very much for the links.

Answer 4

firstly ,an ebonite rod is an insulator which does not allow the flow of electricity easily so the best way of producing this charge is by friction. When fur is rubbed VIGOROSLY on ebonite rod it produces a negative charge to the ebonite rod