AQA GCSE Static Charges
Static Charges
Static means stationary, so static charges are stationary charges. First we need to look at atoms to understand static charges
All materials are made up of atom. A diagram of an atom is shown below.
In the diagram above protons have a + 1 charge and electrons have a -1 charge. An atom is electrically neutral because it contains equal numbers of protons and electrons.
Neutrons are neutral, so they do not contribute to the charge of the atom.
Ions
If an atom loses or gains electrons, it will form an ion.
In the diagram above the atom is now a positive ion, because it has lost an electron. There is now one more proton, than electron, so its a +1 ion.
In the diagram above the atom is a negative ion, because it has gained an electron. There is now one more electron than proton, so this is a -1 ion.
Practice Questions
1.Explain why atoms are electrically neutral
2. State the charge on an ion, if the atom loses two electrons
3. An ion contains 7 protons, 10 electrons and 7 neutrons. State the charge on the ion