Physics 125-2

Triboelectric Series

Shyam Bharadwaj
1/17/12
Partners: Adam

A. Objectives
The objectives of this lab are to assemble an electroscope and determine the
presence and sign of charge and to construct a triboelectric series for certain materials.

B. Materials and Procedures

Materials
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
Procedure
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
6.)
7.)
8.)

Aluminum foil
Styrofoam cups
Rabbit fur, glass, wool, silk, human skin, alumina, cotton, and wood
Scotch tape
Scissors
Assemble an electroscope using a Styrofoam cup and aluminum foil.
Charge a Styrofoam cup by rubbing it against cloth and touch it to the arm of
the electroscope.
Charge the Styrofoam cup again and bring it near the electroscope; record
results.
Assemble an electrophorus using a Styrofoam cup and aluminum foil.
Charge the electrophorus by touching a charged Styrofoam cup to it.
Touch the electrophorus to the electroscope.
Charge the electrophorus again and bring it near the electroscope; record
results.
Rub other items such as rabbit fur and glass together and test their charge
using the electroscope to determine which one sheds electrons. Repeat with all
items and construct a triboelectric series.

Apparatus used:

C. Data
Part A: Testing the electroscope
The first time the Styrofoam cup is brought near the electroscope, the
arm deflects outward. After it touches the electroscope and is charged again
and brought near the electroscope, the deflection decreases.
Part B: Using the electrophorus
When the electrophorus is brought near the electroscope after
inducing charge to it, the arms deflection decreases. When the Styrofoam
cup is brought near the electroscope, the arms deflection increases.
Part C: Triboelectric Series
For each of these tests, the electroscope was charged by conduction by
the Styrofoam cup, thus giving it a negative charge and deflecting the arm.
The material which caused the arm deflection to change the most is listed
below in the corresponding box.

Rabbit
Fur
Glass
Wool
Silk
Skin
Alumin
a
Cotton
Wood

Rabbi Glass Wool

t Fur
X
Rabbi Rabbi
t fur
t fur
X
X
Glass
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Skin

X
X

X
X

X
X

X
X

Silk

Alumin
a
Rabbi Rabbi Rabbit
t fur
t fur
fur
Glass Glass Glass
Wool Wool Wool
X
Silk
Silk
X
X
Skin
X
X
X

Cotton

Wood

X
x

Rabbit
fur
Glass
Wool
Silk
Skin
Alumin
a
X
X

Rabbit
fur
Glass
Wool
Silk
Skin
Alumin
a
Cotton
X

X
X

D. Analysis
Part A:
The arm deflected outward at first because the positive charge came
close to the negatively charged cup and the arm and support both became

negative, repelling each other. Charge was transferred to the electroscope

through conduction when the Styrofoam cup touched the electroscope. Since
the charges were alike, the arm was repelled once again. When the
Styrofoam cup was negatively charged again, whatever negative charge was
on the electroscope went to the arm (as far away from the cup as possible)
and the positive charge stayed on the base. Slight polarity was created, so the
arms deflection decreased.
Part B:
Charge was transferred to the electroscope in the same way as
previously (through conduction except with positive charge since positive
charge was induced to the electrophorus). When more positive charge was
brought near the electroscope, it forced the positive charge as far away from
the base as possible and the negative charge was brought to the base.
Therefore, the unalike charges attracted. The cup, which had negative
charge, also decreased the deflection because it created a slight pole too.
Part C
Since touching a negatively charged object to a negatively charged
electroscope should not cause much deflection, it would be easy to know
what object holds a positive charge by checking which one causes the arms
deflection to change most greatly.
E. Results
Triboelectric Series
Rabbit Fur
Glass
Wool
Silk
Skin
Alumina
Cotton
Wood

G. Conclusion
In this lab, conduction and induction are observed. Induction causes
an object to acquire a charge opposite to the item being used to charge it,
while conduction gives the item the same charge as it had initially.
Conductors such as aluminum are useful in detecting charge because they
allow electricity to flow through them and they can be charged.