Is the Earth negatively or positively charged?

Answer 1

An object becomes charged when it has an excess or deficiency in electrons. This can result from rubbing the material with different material (preferably one that has a different electron affinity, meaning it is either more likely to lose electrons or very hard to lose electrons compared to the first material), therefore the electrons flow from one to another, thus giving the materials charges.

Answer 2

An electromagnet is both positively and negatively charged, since it relies on the flow of electrons to create a magnetic field and an electric field. This field has both a north and south side (or positive and negative for the electric field).

Answer 3

"the earth doesnt have a charge, it is not an atom"

-

This is true, the earth is not an atom, and it does not have a charge.

The reason why electrons want to get to Earth, as observed in static electricity or lightening, is because the electrons are repelling each other and want to get to Earth where they can spread out.

Lightening doesn't happen because the electrons are attracted to the Earth. It happens because as temperatures drop, water freezes and clouds moving past and through each other cause this frozen water molecules to rub against each other which generates a lot of static electricity. As this builds and builds, electrons keep on getting picked up from one object to another, they are constantly repelling as they are collected until eventually it becomes too much and the electrons flow to Earth through lightening; the electrons discharge all of a sudden, which means they flow away and spread out. This build up is what causes high voltage.

Hope this helps!

x BBC Merlin Fan

Answer 4

No, a magnet has no electrical charge. It is magnetized.

Answer 5

Neither.