Demonstrating transfer of charge in Some Natural Phenomena – Class 8 Science Experiment
Chapter Name: Some Natural Phenomena
Activity Name: Demonstrating transfer of charge in Some Natural Phenomena
Activity Description:
This experiment aims to demonstrate the transfer of electric charge using a simple setup involving a jam bottle, a piece of cardboard with metal foil strips, and a charged object.
Required Items:
- Empty jam bottle
- Piece of cardboard
- Metal paper clip
- Aluminum foil strips (2 pieces, approximately 4 cm x 1 cm each)
- Charged refill (or any other charged object)
Step by Step Procedure:
- Take the empty jam bottle and prepare the cardboard lid slightly larger than the mouth of the bottle.
- Pierce a hole in the cardboard large enough to insert the metal paper clip.
- Straighten out the paper clip, and then hang the two strips of aluminum foil on it.
- Insert the paper clip with the attached foil strips into the hole in the cardboard lid, ensuring it is perpendicular to the lid surface.
- Charge a refill (or any other object) by rubbing it against an appropriate material.
- Touch the charged object to the end of the paper clip and observe what happens to the foil strips.
- Note the behavior of the foil strips – whether they repel each other or attract each other.
- Repeat the process with other charged objects and observe if the foil strips behave similarly in all cases.
- Investigate whether this apparatus can be used to detect the presence of charge on a body.
Experiment Observations:
- When a charged object touches the end of the paper clip, the foil strips will respond in a certain way.
- The foil strips may either repel each other or attract each other, depending on the nature of the charge acquired by the paper clip.
Precautions:
- Take care while handling charged objects to avoid electric shocks.
- Ensure the paper clip and foil strips are clean and free from any moisture or contaminants.
Lesson Learnt from Experiment:
This experiment shows that electric charges can be transferred from one object to another. The behavior of the foil strips (either repelling or attracting each other) indicates the type of charge acquired by the paper clip. This experiment also demonstrates the principles of electrostatics.
