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8th grade Static electricity: like charges push, unlike charges pull worksheet

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Static electricity: like charges push, unlike charges pull

Grade 8 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

  1. Both started neutral. After rubbing, Ari's balloon has 4 + and 7 − marks. The hair started with 6 + and 6 − marks. How many − marks does the hair have now?

  2. Both started neutral. After rubbing, Bo's balloon has 5 + and 9 − marks. The hair started with 8 + and 8 − marks. How many − marks does the hair have now?

  3. Both started neutral. After rubbing, Esme's balloon has 3 + and 6 − marks. The hair started with 8 + and 8 − marks. How many − marks does the hair have now?

  4. Jun holds a rubbed balloon near tiny paper bits, and the bits jump up to it. Why?

    • Moving air lifts them
    • The paper bits were already negative
    • The balloon's charge pulls on charges in the paper
    • Rubbing made the balloon a magnet
  5. Before the rubbed balloon comes near, what charge do the paper bits have, Kira?

    • Positive, or they could not be pulled
    • A north pole, like a magnet
    • None; they are neutral
    • Negative, like the balloon
  6. In the charge diagram, which side of the paper bit becomes slightly positive, Luz?

    • The side away from the balloon
    • The side nearer the balloon
    • Neither, since neutral paper has no charges
    • Both sides, since it is neutral
  7. Read this first

    Paper-bit test (test results)

    distance (cm)rubs on hairpaper bits picked up
    2109
    5104
    10101
    255
  8. In the paper-bit test, what happens to the pull as the balloon is held farther away, Milo?

    • It turns into a push
    • It stays the same
    • It gets stronger
    • It gets weaker
  9. In the paper-bit test, what did 10 rubs do compared with 5 rubs, both at 2 cm, Noah?

    • Picked up the same: rubs don't add charge
    • Picked up half as many
    • Picked up fewer: more rubs remove charge
    • Picked up more: more charge, stronger pull
  10. After rubbing, the balloon has 4 extra electrons. What about the hair, Ren?

    • It has 4 extra protons from the balloon
    • It gained 4 protons
    • It has 4 fewer electrons than protons
    • It has the same charge as before
  11. Why does a rubbed balloon stick to a wall, Zee?

    • Rubbing makes the balloon sticky
    • The wall makes new charge from the air
    • Its charge pulls on charges in the wall
    • The balloon turns into a magnet
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8th grade Static electricity: like charges push, unlike charges pull worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Static electricity: like charges push, unlike charges pull. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can say that rubbing moves electrons from one object to another, while protons stay put, and that no charge is made.
  • I can count + and − marks to find an object's charge, and how many electrons moved.
  • I can predict push or pull: like charges push and unlike charges pull. I know a charged object also pulls neutral paper bits.
  • I can say that more charge or less distance makes the force stronger, and plan a fair test of one of them.

Standard: MS-PS2-3

Words to know

charge: A property of protons (+) and electrons (−) that makes them push or pull

electron: A light negative particle that can move between objects

proton: A positive particle that stays in the nucleus

neutral: Equal + and − charges, so no overall charge

static electricity: Charge that builds up on an object and stays there

attract / repel: Pull together / push apart

Common mistakes

Your child added the + and − marks. A + and a − cancel, so take the smaller count from the bigger one.

Your child had the electrons going the wrong way.

Your child took away one balloon's electrons but not the other's.

What to say

Ask: which object ended up negative? The electrons went to that one.

Ask: how many balloons took electrons from the hair?

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with static electricity: like charges push, unlike charges pull?

Your child added the + and − marks. A + and a − cancel, so take the smaller count from the bigger one.

Are these 8th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 8 science

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