Perminant Magnets and Static electricity

In summary: Thank you for the explanation. I think I understand now. Ok, I have one last question. Could I use a material that has been pre-made to hold a positive or negative static charge and use that to charge a disk (moving or nonmoving). I know that materials like cling wrap have a charge naturally because of their makeup. (Please correct me if I am wrong too)."No. Materials like cling wrap have a charge due to their natural makeup, but they do not create static electricity. You would need to create a static charge yourself by using a static generator.
  • #1
Jdo300
554
5
Hello all. I have a couple of questions concerning static electricity, magnets, and dissimilar materials. My first question is can a permanent magnet moved past a dissimilar material be used to give it a static charge as if the magnet were a dissimilar material of opposite charge? My second question is if I were to have two disks (made of opposite dissimilar materials to develop a charge), one above the other with a tiny gap in between them, and I spun the disks past each other in opposite directions, would a static charge build up on the disks? If this effect would work, would the presence of a permanent magnet do anything to enhance or modify the effect? I have looked up many different articles about electrostatic generators, and even a electrostatic multiplier, but I have still not been able to come to a clear conclusion about static being produced without the two disks making contact with each other in any way. Any help/comments greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jason O
 
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  • #2
"My first question is can a permanent magnet moved past a dissimilar material be used to give it a static charge as if the magnet were a dissimilar material of opposite charge?"
No. A magnetic field crossing a material can induce the materials electrons to move, thus inducing a current. However, "static" potential is different, requiring a net postive or negative electrical field potential(meaning...not moving)

"My second question is if I were to have two disks (made of opposite dissimilar materials to develop a charge), one above the other with a tiny gap in between them, and I spun the disks past each other in opposite directions, would a static charge build up on the disks?"
Yes.

"If this effect would work, would the presence of a permanent magnet do anything to enhance or modify the effect?"
Always. A magnetic field effects charge distribution, but not in the way you may be looking for.
 
  • #3
"My first question is can a permanent magnet moved past a dissimilar material be used to give it a static charge as if the magnet were a dissimilar material of opposite charge?"
No. A magnetic field crossing a material can induce the materials electrons to move, thus inducing a current. However, "static" potential is different, requiring a net postive or negative electrical field potential(meaning...not moving)
Ok, thank you for your explanation. So, if I were to just have the nonmoving disk sitting on top of the… let's say, north pole of the magnet, the material would have a net positive charge? I think I'm interpreting this wrong. :confused: But making the bad assumption that I'm saying the right thing here, could one have a positive charged plate and a negatively charged plate (stuck to their respective magnetic poles), and have static potential when connecting a spark gap or a wire or something between them? Or, should I say, would the dissimiler material develope a static potential just from sitting idle on the pole of the magnet?
 
  • #4
Jdo300 said:
Ok, thank you for your explanation. So, if I were to just have the nonmoving disk sitting on top of the… let's say, north pole of the magnet, the material would have a net positive charge? I think I'm interpreting this wrong. :confused: But making the bad assumption that I'm saying the right thing here, could one have a positive charged plate and a negatively charged plate (stuck to their respective magnetic poles), and have static potential when connecting a spark gap or a wire or something between them? Or, should I say, would the dissimiler material develope a static potential just from sitting idle on the pole of the magnet?

- A "net postive" charge requires the removal of electrons from the material to somewhere other than the material.
- A stationary magnetic field does not "attract" electrons, because a magnetic field is not electrically postive(or negative)
- So, an electrically neutral, non-moving disk of any sort placed on top a magnet will not experience a net electrical charge in the presence of a stationary magnetic field.
 
  • #5
Thank you for the explanation. I think I understand now. Ok, I have one last question. Could I use a material that has been pre-made to hold a positive or negative static charge and use that to charge a disk (moving or nonmoving). I know that materials like cling wrap have a charge naturally because of their makeup. (Please correct me if I am wrong too). Could two naturally charged materials be spun next to each other to create a greater static charge? or even just put close to each other but still? I'm trying to understand the interactions of materials of this nature.

Thanks,
Jason O
 

What are permanent magnets?

Permanent magnets are objects that produce a magnetic field without the need for an external power source. They are made of materials with strong magnetic properties, such as iron, nickel, and cobalt.

How do permanent magnets work?

Permanent magnets work by aligning the magnetic domains within their material to create a magnetic field. This field causes a force between the magnet and other magnetic objects, such as other magnets or magnetic materials.

What is static electricity?

Static electricity is a buildup of electric charge on the surface of an object. It occurs when two objects with different electrical charges come into contact or rub against each other.

What causes static electricity?

Static electricity is caused by the transfer of electrons between objects. When two objects with different electrical charges come into contact, electrons may be transferred from one object to the other, creating an imbalance of charges.

How can static electricity be discharged?

Static electricity can be discharged through various means, such as grounding the object or using a conductive material to connect the object to a larger conductive surface. This allows the excess electrons to flow and restore balance to the object's charge.

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