Explain, in terms of electron movement, how an object gains a positive or negative static charge.

Question

Explain, in terms of electron movement, how an object gains a positive or negative static charge.

Answer 1

Atoms are made up of equal numbers of positive and negative charges, and are therefore electrically neutral.

Since electrons make up the outer layers of an atom, then every material has electrons on its surface.

When certain materials are e.g. rubbed together, electrons can be removed from the surface of one material, and placed on the surface of the other.

This causes one of the materials to gain electrons ( gain negative charge), so it is now overall negatively charged.

And this causes the other material to lose an equal quantity of negative charge and become overall positivlely charged..

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Answer 2

An object is negatively charged if it acquires an excess of electrons somehow.  It is positively charged if it acquires a deficit of electrons somehow.