A pith ball is a very light weight ball that is coated with a conducting material. When a negatively charged rod is brought near the pith ball it will induce a charge in the pith ball and attract it. Because the pith ball is so light you can easily see it being attracted to the rod. If contact is made and electrons transferred, you can easily see the pith ball repelled from the charged rod.
* Equipment seen in the video may vary from equipment used in ND Demonstrations. See information and images below for ND equipment and setup.
Setup:
Use the support rods and clamps to hang a pith ball from a string. Connect the webcam to the projector system and set it up to view the pith ball.
Rub the rod on the fur to charge the rod. Bring the rod near the pith ball without touching it.
Rub the rod on the fur to charge the rod. Bring the rod near the pith ball and touch it. Now bring the rod near the pith ball again.
Touch the pith ball with your hand to ground it.
Notes:
None
Courses Used In:
PHY 10320
PHY 20435
PHY 30220
Discussion and Polling Questions:
Coming Soon
Equipment Needed:
2 Support Rods
Right Angle Clamp
String
Pith Ball
Rubber Rod
Fur
Webcam