Understanding Excess Electrons and Their Impact on Charged Objects

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In summary, when an object has excess electrons and is charged, the extra electrons are usually found on the surface of the object. This can occur through contact with other materials or through the migration of charge within a conductor. When two neutrally charged objects are rubbed together, the triboelectric effect causes them to become charged. Despite the common belief that electrons would prefer to keep both objects neutral, the energy associated with the electrons has a greater tendency to remain at rest rather than induce a flow. Therefore, the objects become charged through the transfer of electrons during friction.
  • #1
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When an object has excess electrons and is charged where are they? Are some of the molecules of the object given an extra electron? Also when two neutrally charged objects are rubbed together why do they both become charged? I would think that the electrons would prefer to keep both objects neutral.
 
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Scheuerf said:
I would think that the electrons would prefer to keep both objects neutral.
If that were the case,there would not have been any ionic compounds formed!
see this
 
  • #3
Scheuerf said:
When an object has excess electrons and is charged where are they?
Usually an object (especially one made of insulating material) acquires a charge by contact with other materials (as when a comb is rubbed with a pice of cloth). It's therefore usually (a very small fraction of) molecules on the surface which gain or lose electrons (usually only one electron on anyone affected molecule). Conductors can also be charged. Again it is surface atoms or molecules which have the extra electron or are missing the electron. This time, though, the reason is rather different. Even if charge were to be deposited inside the object, it would migrate to the surface, essentially because of mutual repulsion.
 
  • #4
Scheuerf said:
I would think that the electrons would prefer to keep both objects neutral.
A conductor loves to do just that, the electrons are merely the means. It seems to me you think of a charged mass like a battery, with cells full of electrons bouncing around ready to go to work. In concept it is the same, but in static situations where Faraday pioneered, a use for the energy needs to exist, i.e. ground short, to induce a flow. The inspiring fact of the day to remember is that the energy has more tendency to stay where it is at as an electron at rest, than it does to move with relativistic but otherwise known as invariant mass, that would vacate its premises.
 
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  • #5
jerromyjon said:
A conductor loves to do just that, the electrons are merely the means. It seems to me you think of a charged mass like a battery, with cells full of electrons bouncing around ready to go to work. In concept it is the same, but in static situations where Faraday pioneered, a use for the energy needs to exist, i.e. ground short, to induce a flow. The inspiring fact of the day to remember is that the energy has more tendency to stay where it is at as an electron at rest, than it does to move with relativistic but otherwise known as invariant mass, that would vacate its premises.

Your explanation is both confusing and needlessly bringing in relativity.
 
  • #6

Related to Understanding Excess Electrons and Their Impact on Charged Objects

1. What are excess electrons?

Excess electrons are electrons that are not in their usual, balanced state within an atom or molecule. This can occur when an object gains or loses electrons through various processes such as friction, contact, or exposure to certain materials or energy sources.

2. How do excess electrons impact charged objects?

Excess electrons can cause charged objects to repel or attract each other depending on their respective charges. For example, if an object has an excess of electrons, it will have a negative charge and will repel other negatively charged objects. This is due to the principle of electrostatic force, which states that like charges repel and opposite charges attract.

3. What causes an object to have excess electrons?

An object can acquire excess electrons through various processes, such as friction, contact, or exposure to certain materials or energy sources. For example, when two objects rub against each other, electrons can transfer from one object to the other, resulting in one object having an excess of electrons.

4. How do excess electrons affect the behavior of materials?

Excess electrons can impact the behavior of materials in various ways. For example, they can cause materials to become charged, which can lead to repulsion or attraction between objects. Excess electrons can also cause materials to become conductors or insulators, depending on their properties and the amount of excess electrons present.

5. Can excess electrons be removed from an object?

Yes, excess electrons can be removed from an object through various methods, such as grounding, contact with a material with a different charge, or exposure to certain energy sources. This process is known as discharge and can restore an object to its balanced state.

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