Static Electricity & Electric Fields & Air

• What is static electricity?

  Build up of charge on insulators
• In conducting items when rubbed together...

  Conducting items like metal when rubbed together electrons travel to the other item but flow straight back as they can conduct :|
• Insulating items when rubbed together...

  Electrons transfer from one to another because of friction and unable to move back, leaving one positive and one negative.
• If an item keeps gaining electerons, potential difference will be made between the item and earth objects.
• What are earth objects?

  Objects that have 0v Pd.
• If Potential difference is large enough between item and earth what happens?

  Electrons can JUMP, this is called a spark.
• Although it's rare charges can build up on conductors . 😊
• Cars can become charged because of friction with wind.
• Arrows in field diagrams must always be perpendicular to the proton/electron.

  
• Arrows always come out of positive and into negative

  
• If we had a strong charged metal what would happen (possibly) to the air around it?

  Because if strong electric field from the charged metal: the air around it loses electrons to give to the charged metal which ionises the air, air can now conduct electricity, this is how Sparks travel through air.