Experimental Proof of Electrical Charge

[prace]

Hi,

I have a question about the transfer of electrical charge from object to another. Basically, my professor stated that if you rub a rod with certain matierials, the rod will become charged. This is due to the convention that Ben Franklin came up with called the triboelectric series. So, my quesition is, without looking at the list provided to me in my textbook, how am I suppossed to know what charges are transferred to each material. For example, A plastic rod rubbed with fur becomes negatively charged, but a glass rod rubbed with silk becomes positively charged ... ok, that makes sense to me, but why not the other way around? I understand that if two materials are brought into contact, electrons are transferred from the material higher in the series to the one futher down, but how do you justify that, or how do you quantify that?

Thanks!

~P

 

[member 553083]

amThe triboelectric series is based on the idea that certain materials have a greater tendency to gain or lose electrons than others. This is due to differences in the materials' atomic structure and their ability to form electrostatic bonds with other materials. Materials higher up on the triboelectric series are more likely to gain electrons, while materials lower on the series are more likely to lose them. When two materials are rubbed together, the material with a higher triboelectric rating will transfer electrons to the material with a lower rating. This is why a plastic rod rubbed with fur becomes negatively charged, while a glass rod rubbed with silk becomes positively charged.