Question
3. For each of the following pairs of articles indicate which will become positive or negative when rubbed together.(6) a. Rabbit Fur vs Human Hair Positive - Negative - b. Balloon vs Nylon Positive - Negative - c. Woolvs . Cotton Positive - Negative -
Solution
4.6
(153 Votes)
Yosef
Master ยท Tutor for 5 years
Answer
To determine which material becomes positive and which becomes negative when rubbed together, we refer to the triboelectric series. This series lists materials in order of their tendency to gain or lose electrons. Materials higher on the list become positive (lose electrons) when rubbed against materials lower on the list, which become negative (gain electrons).While a definitive triboelectric series can vary slightly based on experimental conditions, a general ordering allows us to predict the outcome. Here's an application to your examples:**a. Rabbit Fur vs. Human Hair*** **Positive:** Rabbit Fur (Generally higher on the triboelectric series than human hair)* **Negative:** Human Hair**b. Balloon vs Nylon*** **Positive:** Balloon (Most balloons are made of rubber or latex, which are higher on the series than nylon)* **Negative:** Nylon**c. Wool vs. Cotton*** **Positive:** Wool (Generally higher on the triboelectric series than cotton)* **Negative:** Cotton