Why Does Hair Stand Up When Touching a Van der Graaf Generator?

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When touching a Van der Graaf generator, hair stands up due to the buildup of static electricity, which creates an electric field. The electric field exerts a force on the charged particles in the hair, causing them to repel each other and stand on end. The direction of the hair's movement is influenced by the electric field's orientation and the charge distribution. Understanding the relationship between force, charge, and electric fields is key to grasping this phenomenon. This interaction illustrates fundamental principles of electrostatics.
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Why does your hair stand out when you touch the the van der graaf generator ?? What controls the direction of the hair
 
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Idrees said:
Why does your hair stand out when you touch the the van der graaf generator ?? What controls the direction of the hair

Well, since this is a homework/coursework question, we can't just give you the answer. But maybe we can give you a hint or two to help you figure it out yourself.

What is the equation that relates the force F on a charged particle Q in terms of its charge and the value of an electric field E that the particle is sitting in? What makes electric field?
 

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