If a cat repeatedly rubs against your cotton slacks on a dry day, the charge tra

Question

If a cat repeatedly rubs against your cotton slacks on a dry day, the charge transfer between the cat hair and the cotton can leave you with an excess charge of -5.10 µC. (a) How many electrons are transferred between you and the cat? You will gradually discharge via the floor, but if instead of waiting, you immediately reach toward a faucet, a painful spark can suddenly appear as your fingers near the faucet. (b) In that spark, do electrons flow from you to the faucet (type 1) or vice versa (type 0)? (c) Just before the spark appears, do you induce positive (type 1) or negative (type 0) charge in the faucet? (d) If, instead, the cat reaches a paw toward the faucet, which way do electrons flow in the resulting spark (from faucet to the cat - type 1, or vice versa - type 0)?

Explanation / Answer

(a)        Given that               q = -5.10 C = -5.10 * 10^-6 C    According to charge quantization we have that             n = q/e = (-5.10 * 10^-6 C) / (1.6 * 10^-19 C) = 3.19 * 10^13 electrons (b)       Since you have the exess electrons, the electrons leap from you to the faucet instead of protons moving from the faucet to you. (c)       Since unlike chages attract, and the faucet becomes positively charged (d)       The cat is charged positively and by the reasoning given due to exess of electrons the flow of charge is from the faucet to the cat. (b)       Since you have the exess electrons, the electrons leap from you to the faucet instead of protons moving from the faucet to you. (c)       Since unlike chages attract, and the faucet becomes positively charged (d)       The cat is charged positively and by the reasoning given due to exess of electrons the flow of charge is from the faucet to the cat.

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