AQA · GCSE · Physics

    Course version: 8463 · Version from Sept 2016

    The material that loses electrons is left with an equal positive charge.

    Full specification wording

    Static charge: The material that loses electrons is left with an equal positive charge.

    Nothing positive ever moves.

    Checked against the AQA 8463 specification (opens in a new tab) on .

    • Point 4 of 9
    • 4 key terms

    Study notes

    From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    The idea

    Nothing positive ever moves. An object becomes positively charged by losing electrons, which leaves its protons outnumbering its remaining electrons, so the overall charge is positive. The size of that positive charge is exactly equal to the negative charge picked up by the other material, because every electron that left one surface arrived on the other; charge is conserved, and the pair together is still neutral. This is the answer examiners want for 'explain how an uncharged object may become positively charged': negatively charged electrons are transferred away from the object. Given a cloth and a rod, say which lost electrons, say electrons are negative, then conclude that the cloth now has more positive charges than negative ones.

    What earns the marks

    • Negatively charged electrons being transferred away from the object.
    • Electrons being negatively charged.
    • The object then holding more positive charges than negative charges.
    • The positive charge gained equalling the negative charge gained by the other material.

    Common mistakes and how to put them right

    • Saying the object gains protons or gains positive charge.

    • Leaving out the word negatively before electrons, so the link to the positive result is never made.

    • Claiming the two charges differ in size because one material is bigger.

    • Asserting the object is positive without saying that anything moved.

    Exam tips

    • The conclusion mark depends on first saying that electrons left, so write the steps in that order.
    • Use 'more positive charges than negative charges' rather than 'more protons', which examiners may only ignore.
    • Check that the total charge across both objects still adds to zero.

    Try the lesson

    The start of the Static charge: The material that loses electrons is left with an equal positive charge. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    Have a go first

    A polythene rod is rubbed with a cloth and the rod gains electrons. What charge does the cloth have after the rubbing?

    Listen

    Nothing positive ever moves. An object becomes positively charged by losing electrons, which leaves its protons outnumbering its remaining electrons, so the overall charge is positive. The size of that positive charge is exactly equal to the negative charge picked up by the other material, because every electron that left one surface arrived on the other; charge is conserved, and the pair together is still neutral. This is the answer examiners want for 'explain how an uncharged object may become positively charged': negatively charged electrons are transferred away from the object. Given a cloth and a rod, say which lost electrons, say electrons are negative, then conclude that the cloth now has more positive charges than negative ones. A strong answer earns marks for these points. negatively charged electrons being transferred away from the object. electrons being negatively charged. the object then holding more positive charges than negative charges. the positive charge gained equalling the negative charge gained by the other material. Exam tip: The conclusion mark depends on first saying that electrons left, so write the steps in that order.

    See it

    A top-down flowchart. A neutral object leads to negatively charged electrons being transferred away. From that step, two branches: one leads to the object being left with more positive charges than negative charges, which leads to the object having an equal positive charge; the other leads to the other material picking up the electrons, which leads to that material having an equal negative charge. Both the equal positive charge and the equal negative charge lead to the total charge across both still adding to zero.
    It shows how a neutral object becomes positively charged by losing negatively charged electrons, with the positive and negative charges produced being equal in size so the total charge stays zero.

    Key words

    Say what each word means before you turn the card.

    loss of electrons

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    positive charge

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    conservation of charge

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    equal and opposite

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    See every definition
    loss of electrons
    Negatively charged electrons are transferred away from the object, which leaves its protons outnumbering its remaining electrons.
    positive charge
    The material that loses electrons is left with an overall charge that is positive.
    conservation of charge
    Every electron that left one surface arrived on the other, so the pair together is still neutral.
    equal and opposite
    The size of the positive charge is exactly equal to the negative charge picked up by the other material.

    Label the diagram

    Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.

    The diagram again, with 3 boxes numbered instead of named. A top-down flowchart. A neutral object leads to negatively charged electrons being transferred away. From that step, two branches: one leads to the object being left with more positive charges than negative charges, which leads to the object having an equal positive charge; the other leads to the other material picking up the electrons, which leads to that material having an equal negative charge. Both the equal positive charge and the equal negative charge lead to the total charge across both still adding to zero.

    • 1Box 1

    • 2Box 2

    • 3Box 3

    0 of 3 labelled

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