Page 149 - Science Class 08
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charge is more on an object the leaves will ELECTRIC CURRENT
open more. If the charge is less, then the leaves Electric current is one of the most basic
will open less. concepts that exists within electrical and
Flows of Charges— Conductors and Insulators electronic science— electric current is at the
When electrons are deposited on certain core of the science of electricity.
materials, they can make their way freely in Whether it is an electrical heater, a large
and but among atoms, In certain other electrical grid system, a mobile phone,
substances they cannot move freely. They computer, remote sensor node or whatever,
remain more or less at the some point on the the concept of electrical current is central to its
material at which they were deposited. opera on.
Substances that allow electrons to pass freely However, current as such cannot normally be
through them are called conductors. seen, although its effects can be seen, heard
For example, copper, silver, iron, etc. There and felt all the me and as a result it is
are certain substances that do not allow some mes difficult to gain a view of what it
electrons to pass through them, these are really is.
called insulators. When a charged electroscope is connected to
For example rubber, plas c, wood, etc: an uncharged electroscope through a copper
wire, charge flows from the charged to the
uncharged electroscope. This clearly shows
Aim : To detect whether an object is how electrons can flow from one charged body
conductor or insulator. to another uncharged body. This flow of
Method: electrons is referred to as electric current. This
Take two electroscopes. Charge the leaves of electric current is used in every household,
one of them using an ebonite rod. Now, industries and other ins tu ons. You will read
connect the discs of the two electroscopes more about how electricity is produced and
using a copper wire. Remember, do not touch distributed in higher classes.
the disc or copper wire with your hand. LIGHTNING
You will no ce that the leaves of the second Induc on is the main cause behind many
electroscope will also diverge. The divergence natural phenomena. One of the best known of
of the leaves of the first electroscope reduces.
these is the thunderstorm.
This shows that some of the charge has been
transferred from the first to the second Benjamin Franklin first proved that clouds build
electroscope, through the copper wire. Now, up charge during a thunderstorm. He showed
repeat the experiment and connect the disc of that lightning that we see in the sky is a very
the electroscope using a plas c scale. The heavy flow of charge between clouds.
leaves of the second electroscope do not How does Lightning Occur?
diverge at all. No charge is therefore,
transferred from the first to the second During a hot and humid day, air rises us rapidly.
electroscope. Thus, we can say that plas c is As the warm and damp air rushes upward, it is
an insulator. coilled by expansion and the water vapour in it
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