Vernier Electrostatics Kit - Manual (Page 4)

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Other experiments
Here are some other ideas for experiments.
What does the wrist strap do?
Use the Faraday Pail and Charge Sensor to understand the function of the grounding
wrist strap. Scuff your shoes on the floor and use the Faraday Pail to measure the
charge on your body. Next attach the grounding strap to the Ground Plane and put
the strap on your wrist. Scuff your feet on the floor and measure the charge. It should
be close to zero with the wrist strap attached.
Explore charge separation using the Charge Separators
Use the Charge Sensor, Faraday Pail and Charge Separators in this kit to measure the
sign and magnitude of charge. Since the Charge Separators are small, you can rub
them together and then place either or both of them in the Faraday Pail. When
inserted individually, you can observe that equal amounts of charge with different
sign appear on the different materials. When they are simultaneously inserted into
the Pail, the charge is close to zero indicating the cancellation of equal but opposite
charges.
For more information on charge separation, search for “triboelectric effect” online.
Explore charge separation using invisible tape
Use the Charge Sensor and Faraday Pail to observe the separation of charge when
two strips of invisible tape are pulled apart. On two 3 inch pieces of tape, make a tab
by folding over the top of each. Stick the combination to the table top. Pull the
combination off the table and then pull the top strip off the bottom strip. Individually
place each strip into the Faraday Pail to measure the charge. Simultaneously place
them in the Pail to measure the charge.
Explore charging by contact using the Charge Separators
Use the Charge Sensor, Faraday Pail and Charge Separators in this kit to measure the
charge transferred from one object to another. Rub the Charge Separators together.
Place the white Charge Separator in the Pail without touching the Pail. Note the
charge. Now touch the white Charge Separator to the metal can and remove the
Charge Separator from the can. Again note the charge. Ground the system and
discharge the sensor by pressing and holding the Reset button on the sensor. Repeat
these steps with the gray Charge Separator.
References
Many of the experiments described here are based on suggestions from Robert
Morse, Ph.D. We recommended reading the following work by Dr. Morse.
Electrostatics with Computer-Interfaced Charge Sensors, The Physics Teacher,
November 2006, Volume 44, Issue 8, pp. 498-502
Robert A. Morse, Teaching About Electrostatics, AAPT, College Park, MD, 1992
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Another excellent resource especially for the invisible tape activity is
Chabay, Ruth, and Sherwood, Bruce, Matter and Interactions II:Electric and
Magnetic Interactions, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 2007
Other Products for Use with this Kit
Vernier Charge Sensor (CRG-BTA)
The Charge Sensor is used as an electronic
electroscope that can make quantitative
measurements. Numerical measurements improve
many electrostatics experiments such as charging by
induction, charging by friction, and charging by
contact. The sensor can also be used to measure
charge polarity.
High Voltage Electrostatics Kit (HVEK-CRG)
The High Voltage Electrostatics Kits is an accessory
for the Vernier Charge Sensor (order code
CRG-BTA). Use it with a Faraday Pail, which is part
of this kit, and the Charge Sensor to investigate the
charge on a sphere. The current output of the High
Voltage Source is extremely low, making it safe for
electrostatic studies.
Experiments include
 Investigate the distribution of charge on a sphere
 Transfer of charge on contact between two
spheres
 Charging by Induction
The kit includes
 Electrostatic High Voltage Source (output 750, 1500, 3000, 6000 VDC)
 Ground Wire
 Voltage Terminal
 Proof Plane
 Conducting Spheres (2)
Warranty
Vernier warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship
for a period of five years from the date of shipment to the customer. This warranty
does not cover damage to the product caused by abuse or improper use.
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Revised 9/19/2012
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