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Chapter 1: Problem 1

Shows the charge distribution in a water molecule, which is called a polar molecule because it has an inherent separation of charge. Given water's polar character, explain what effect humidity has on removing excess charge from objects.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Humidity increases water vapor, which neutralizes excess charges on objects by surrounding and dissipating them.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Water's Polarity

A water molecule is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. The oxygen atom is more electronegative than hydrogen, creating a slight negative charge on the oxygen and a slight positive charge on the hydrogen atoms. This results in a polar molecule with an uneven charge distribution.
02

Effect of Polarity on Humidity

Due to its polarity, water molecules can easily attach to other charged surfaces or particles. In a humid environment, where water vapor is abundant, these water molecules can surround charged objects or ions in the air, neutralizing the charges through attraction.
03

Humidity and Charge Neutralization

As humidity increases, the number of available polar water molecules also rises. These molecules interact with the excess charges on objects, effectively grounding and dissipating the electrical charges. This process reduces static electricity on surfaces.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Water Molecule Polarity
A water molecule consists of one oxygen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms. This arrangement leads to an uneven distribution of electrical charge, creating a polar molecule. The oxygen atom attracts the shared electrons more strongly than the hydrogen atoms due to its higher electronegativity.
As a result, a water molecule forms a dipole.
The oxygen side becomes slightly negative, while the hydrogen side becomes slightly positive, allowing water to interact well with other charged species. This polarity is crucial for the diverse properties that water exhibits.
Charge Distribution
The charge distribution in a water molecule is not uniform. This difference in charge is due to the varied electronegativity of oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen has a greater tendency to pull electrons toward itself compared to hydrogen.
Consequently, this leads to a partial negative charge ( abla- abla) on the oxygen and a partial positive charge on each hydrogen ( abla+ abla).
This arrangement not only makes water a polar molecule but also allows it to dissolve various substances, facilitating many chemical reactions.
Electronegativity
Electronegativity refers to the ability of an atom to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond. In a water molecule, oxygen has a higher electronegativity than hydrogen, which is why the electrons spend more time around the oxygen atom.
This results in the oxygen having a partial negative charge, and each hydrogen having a partial positive charge.
Understanding electronegativity is essential because it explains why certain molecules, like water, have polar characteristics, and how this influences their interactions with other molecules.
Humidity and Static Electricity
Humidity refers to the amount of water vapor present in the air. In areas of high humidity, there is an abundance of polar water molecules. Due to their polarity, these water molecules can effectively neutralize excess charges on surfaces by surrounding and interacting with these charges.
This process dissipates electrical charges and reduces static electricity, making it less likely for static shocks to occur in humid conditions.
  • Increased water vapor means more polar molecules are available to neutralize charges.
  • High humidity promotes the grounding of excess charges.
  • This reduces static electricity, commonly experienced in low humidity conditions.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

(a) Two \(0.500 \mathrm{~g}\) raindrops in a thunderhead are \(1.00 \mathrm{~cm}\) apart when they each acquire \(1.00 \mathrm{mC}\) charges. Find their acceleration. (b) What is unreasonable about this result? (c) Which premise or assumption is responsible?

Earth has a net charge that produces an electric field of approximately \(150 \mathrm{~N} / \mathrm{C}\) downward at its surface. (a) What is the magnitude and sign of the excess charge, noting the electric field of a conducting sphere is equivalent to a point charge at its center? (b) What acceleration will the field produce on a free electron near Earth's surface? (c) What mass object with a single extra electron will have its weight supported by this field?

The discussion of the electric field between two parallel conducting plates, in this module states that edge effects are less important if the plates are close together. What does close mean? That is, is the actual plate separation crucial, or is the ratio of plate separation to plate area crucial?

Point charges of \(5.00 \mu \mathrm{C}\) and \(-3.00 \mu \mathrm{C}\) are placed \(0.250 \mathrm{~m}\) apart. (a) Where can a third charge be placed so that the net force on it is zero? (b) What if both charges are positive?

Shows an electron passing between two charged metal plates that create an \(100 \mathrm{~N} / \mathrm{C}\) vertical electric field perpendicular to the electron's original horizontal velocity. (These can be used to change the electron's direction, such as in an oscilloscope.) The initial speed of the electron is \(3.00 \times 10^{6} \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s}\), and the horizontal distance it travels in the uniform field is \(4.00 \mathrm{~cm}\). (a) What is its vertical deflection? (b) What is the vertical component of its final velocity? (c) At what angle does it exit? Neglect any edge effects.
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