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College Physics (Urone)
Found in: Page 661
College Physics (Urone)

College Physics (Urone)

Book edition 1st Edition
Author(s) Paul Peter Urone
Pages 1272 pages
ISBN 9781938168000

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Short Answer

Figure 18.43 shows the charge distribution in a water molecule, which is called a polar molecule because it has an inherent separation of charge. Given water’s polar character, explain what effect humidity has on removing excess charge from objects.

Figure 18.43 Schematic representation of the outer electron cloud of a neutral water molecule. The electrons spend more time near the oxygen than the hydrogens, giving a permanent charge separation as shown. Water is thus a polar molecule. It is more easily affected by electrostatic forces than molecules with uniform charge distributions.

Humidity has high tendency to remove the excess charge from the objects due to its high interactive bonds or the polar nature of the molecules.

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Step by Step Solution

TABLE OF CONTENTS :
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Step 1: Polar molecules

There are two types of molecules:

  • Polar molecules
  • Non-polar molecules

In polar molecules, due to difference between the electronegativity of the atoms the bonded electrons shift towards the more electronegative atom creating partially negative charge on them. On the other hand, partially positive charge is created on less electronegative atom.

Step 2: Effect of humidity

Due to polar nature of water molecules, it has tendency to remove excess charge from the objects. When the humidity is high the concentration of water vapor in the atmosphere is high.

Thus, humidity increases the conductivity of the air. As a result objects in such environment will not be able to hold charge.

Most popular questions for Physics Textbooks

(a) Find the electric field at \(x = 5.00{\rm{ cm}}\) in Figure 18.52 (a), given that \(q = 1.00{\rm{ }}\mu C\). (b) At what position between \(3.00\) and \(8.00{\rm{ cm}}\) is the total electric field the same as that for \( - 2q\) alone? (c) Can the electric field be zero anywhere between \(0.00\) and \(8.00{\rm{ cm}}\)? (d) At very large positive or negative values of \(x\), the electric field approaches zero in both (a) and (b). In which does it most rapidly approach zero and why? (e) At what position to the right of \(11.0{\rm{ cm}}\) is the total electric field zero, other than at infinity? (Hint: A graphing calculator can yield considerable insight in this problem.)

Figure 18.52 (a) Point charges located at \[{\bf{3}}.{\bf{00}},{\rm{ }}{\bf{8}}.{\bf{00}},{\rm{ }}{\bf{and}}{\rm{ }}{\bf{11}}.{\bf{0}}{\rm{ }}{\bf{cm}}\] along the x-axis. (b) Point charges located at \[{\bf{1}}.{\bf{00}},{\rm{ }}{\bf{5}}.{\bf{00}},{\rm{ }}{\bf{8}}.{\bf{00}},{\rm{ }}{\bf{and}}{\rm{ }}{\bf{14}}.{\bf{0}}{\rm{ }}{\bf{cm}}\] along the x-axis

Sketch the electric field lines in the vicinity of the charged insulator in Figure 18.51 noting its nonuniform charge distribution.

Figure 18.51

Bare free charges do not remain stationary when close together. To illustrate this, calculate the acceleration of two isolated protons separated by \({\bf{2}}.{\bf{00}}{\rm{ }}{\bf{nm}}\) (a typical distance between gas atoms). Explicitly show how you follow the steps in the Problem-Solving Strategy for electrostatics.

(a) Find the direction and magnitude of an electric field that exerts a \[{\rm{4}}{\rm{.80 \times 1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{ - 17}}}}{\rm{N}}\] westward force on an electron. (b) What magnitude and direction force does this field exert on a proton?

Using Figure, explain, in terms of Coulomb’s law, why a polar molecule (such as in Figure 18.43) is attracted by both positive and negative charges.
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