Explain why a charged body loses its charge if we touch it with our ha...
A charged body loses its charge when it comes into contact with a conductor, such as a human hand, due to the process of electrostatic discharge. When a charged body comes into contact with a conductor, electrons from the conductor will flow into or out of the charged body until both have the same electric potential. This flow of electrons results in a neutralization of the charge on the charged body, causing it to lose its charge. The rapid transfer of electrons from the conductor to the charged body also generates heat and light, which can be felt as a spark. The discharge of static electricity from a charged body to a conductor is a natural and common phenomenon that occurs in many everyday situations, such as walking on a carpet or touching a metal doorknob after rubbing your feet on a rug.
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Explain why a charged body loses its charge if we touch it with our ha...
Why a charged body loses its charge when touched with our hand?
When a charged body is touched with our hand, there are several processes at play that result in the loss of charge. Let's understand the reasons behind this phenomenon in detail:
1. Electron Transfer:
- When we touch a charged body, electrons from our hand can transfer to the charged body.
- Charged bodies can have an excess of either positive or negative charges. If the charged body has an excess of negative charges (excess of electrons), when we touch it, some electrons from our hand can transfer to the charged body, neutralizing the excess charge. This leads to a decrease in the overall charge on the body.
- Similarly, if the charged body has an excess of positive charges, when we touch it, some of our electrons can be attracted to the positive charges, again resulting in a decrease in the overall charge.
2. Conduction:
- When we touch a charged body with our hand, the charges on the body can conduct through our body.
- Our body is a good conductor of electricity. When in contact with a charged body, the charges on the body can flow through our body and get distributed.
- As the charges distribute through our body, the charge on the object decreases and eventually becomes neutral.
3. Neutralization:
- The charges on the charged body can neutralize with the opposite charges present in our body.
- Our body is made up of atoms and molecules that can have positive or negative charges. When we touch a charged body, the opposite charges present in our body can neutralize the charges on the object.
- For example, if the charged body has an excess of positive charges, some of the negative charges in our body can neutralize them, leading to a decrease in the overall charge.
Summary:
When we touch a charged body, electron transfer, conduction, and neutralization processes occur. Electrons from our hand can transfer to the charged body, charges can flow through our body, and opposite charges can neutralize each other. These processes result in a decrease in the overall charge on the body, leading to the loss of charge.
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