What Happens When You Bombard a Rubber Ball with Electrons?

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SUMMARY

Bombarding a rubber ball with electrons results in the accumulation of a negative charge on its surface due to electron retention. Under specific conditions, this process can lead to the emission of electromagnetic radiation, although significant radiation output may damage the rubber material. In contrast, using a steel ball can produce substantial x-rays when subjected to the same electron bombardment. It is crucial to conduct these experiments in a vacuum to prevent interference from air molecules.

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A friend of mine posed a question; if you take a rubber ball and bombard it with electrons, what would happen?

I posited that some of the electrons would likely stay on the surface of the ball, giving it a negative charge. I then suggested that if under the "right" conditions you may be able to have photons or some other kind of electromagnetic radiation emitted.

Am I totally off or was there some truth to what I was saying?
 
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You could certainly induce a negative surface charge.
The EM is also true, if only because "some kind of EM radiation" covers such a wide range.
By the time you got "real" EM out of the thing, you would be destroying the rubber.

... now switch to a steel ball and you can get some significant x-rays.

BTW: You should do these experiments in a vacuum.
 

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