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What is a pithball?

Updated: 5/22/2024
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15y ago

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It is a very light, nonconducting, substance that is used to demonstrate electrostatic forces. Typically a small amount is hung at the end of a string. When a charged rod is brought close to the pithball it polarizes the pithball molecules. That is, it attracts charges that are opposite the charged rod and repels the like charges. This causes the molecules in the pithball (which has zero net charge) to slightly rotate so the unlike charges are nearer the surface and closer to the rod. When this happens, there is a net attractive electric force on the pithball which causes it to swing (slightly) toward the rod. If the pithball touches the rod it will pick up some charge from the rod. All of a sudden it now has a net charge, which is the same sign as the rod's charges and the pithball will swing (strongly) away from the rod because like charges repel. The pithball was originally made from dried pith, a soft spongy material found in the stems of plants. Nowdays, lots of materials will work; dried corn cob, styrofoam etc. The requirement is that it be lightweight (so it will easily swing when subjected to the electric forces described above).

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15y ago
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2mo ago

A pith ball is a small, lightweight ball made of a lightweight wood called pith. It is commonly used in physics experiments to demonstrate principles of static electricity. When charged, pith balls can be used to show electrical forces and interactions.

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In wxperiments involving a pithball electroscope what causes the pithball to move?

The movement of the pithball in a pithball electroscope is caused by the presence of electric charge. Like charges repel each other, so if the pithball becomes charged either positively or negatively, it will move away from a similarly charged object.


In experiments involving a pinball electroscope what causes the pithball to move?

The movement of the pithball in a pinball electroscope is caused by the buildup of static charge on the object being tested. When an object with a charge is brought near the electroscope, it induces a charge on the pithball causing it to move due to electrostatic forces.


How does a substance become temporarily charged by induction when a charged object is brought near?

I'm not 100% sure because were just starting this in class today. Let's say you have a negatively charged ebonite rod and you brought it toward a neutral pithball (if you don't know what that is just picture a shere). Before you brought the rod near the pithball, the protons and electrons in the pithball are spread out evenly. When u bring the negatively charged rod towards the pithball the electrons in the pithball move to the otherside of the ball. The protons never move but are now closer to the negatively charged ebonite rod. So technically, it reacts like a positively charged object would and attrcts to the negative ebonite rod ( unlike charges attract). But once the ebonite rod is moved away from the pithball, the pithball is neutral. The pithball is always neutral because there's no transfer of electrons but I guess it is technically temporarily charged. I'm not sure if that's what your looking for but I hope it helped a bit.


Related questions

In wxperiments involving a pithball electroscope what causes the pithball to move?

The movement of the pithball in a pithball electroscope is caused by the presence of electric charge. Like charges repel each other, so if the pithball becomes charged either positively or negatively, it will move away from a similarly charged object.


What causes a pithball to move in an experiment involving a pithball electroscope?

A pithball moves in response to the electrostatic force between the charged object and the pithball. When a charged object is brought close to the pithball, the charges on the object induce a separation of charges in the pithball causing it to become attracted or repelled, leading to its movement.


In experiments involving a pinball electroscope what causes the pithball to move?

The movement of the pithball in a pinball electroscope is caused by the buildup of static charge on the object being tested. When an object with a charge is brought near the electroscope, it induces a charge on the pithball causing it to move due to electrostatic forces.


How does a substance become temporarily charged by induction when a charged object is brought near?

I'm not 100% sure because were just starting this in class today. Let's say you have a negatively charged ebonite rod and you brought it toward a neutral pithball (if you don't know what that is just picture a shere). Before you brought the rod near the pithball, the protons and electrons in the pithball are spread out evenly. When u bring the negatively charged rod towards the pithball the electrons in the pithball move to the otherside of the ball. The protons never move but are now closer to the negatively charged ebonite rod. So technically, it reacts like a positively charged object would and attrcts to the negative ebonite rod ( unlike charges attract). But once the ebonite rod is moved away from the pithball, the pithball is neutral. The pithball is always neutral because there's no transfer of electrons but I guess it is technically temporarily charged. I'm not sure if that's what your looking for but I hope it helped a bit.


What are some eight letter words with 1st letter P and 2nd letter I and 6th letter A and 7th letter L?

According to SOWPODS (the combination of Scrabble dictionaries used around the world) there are 1 words with the pattern PI---AL-. That is, eight letter words with 1st letter P and 2nd letter I and 6th letter A and 7th letter L. In alphabetical order, they are: pithball


What are some eight letter words with 2nd letter I and 4th letter H and 5th letter B and 8th letter L?

According to SOWPODS (the combination of Scrabble dictionaries used around the world) there are 4 words with the pattern -I-HB--L. That is, eight letter words with 2nd letter I and 4th letter H and 5th letter B and 8th letter L. In alphabetical order, they are: fishball fishbowl highball pithball


What are some eight letter words with 1st letter P and 3rd letter T and 4th letter H and 6th letter A?

According to SOWPODS (the combination of Scrabble dictionaries used around the world) there are 5 words with the pattern P-TH-A--. That is, eight letter words with 1st letter P and 3rd letter T and 4th letter H and 6th letter A. In alphabetical order, they are: pathname pathways pithball pitheads potheads


What are some eight letter words with 1st letter P and 3rd letter T and 7th letter L and 8th letter L?

According to SOWPODS (the combination of Scrabble dictionaries used around the world) there are 1 words with the pattern P-T---LL. That is, eight letter words with 1st letter P and 3rd letter T and 7th letter L and 8th letter L. In alphabetical order, they are: pithball


What are some eight letter words with 1st letter P and 5th letter B and 6th letter A?

According to SOWPODS (the combination of Scrabble dictionaries used around the world) there are 13 words with the pattern P---BA--. That is, eight letter words with 1st letter P and 5th letter B and 6th letter A. In alphabetical order, they are: passband pickback pithball platband playback plowback plumbago plumbate postbags postbase puffball pullback pushball


What are some eight letter words with 1st letter P and 2nd letter I and 3rd letter T and 5th letter B and 8th letter L?

According to SOWPODS (the combination of Scrabble dictionaries used around the world) there are 1 words with the pattern PIT-B--L. That is, eight letter words with 1st letter P and 2nd letter I and 3rd letter T and 5th letter B and 8th letter L. In alphabetical order, they are: pithball


What are some eight letter words with 1st letter P and 3rd letter T and 4th letter H and 6th letter A and 8th letter L?

According to SOWPODS (the combination of Scrabble dictionaries used around the world) there are 1 words with the pattern P-TH-A-L. That is, eight letter words with 1st letter P and 3rd letter T and 4th letter H and 6th letter A and 8th letter L. In alphabetical order, they are: pithball