Summarizing Applications of Electrostatics
Summary
- Electrostatics is the study of electric fields in static equilibrium.
- In addition to research using equipment such as a Van de Graaff generator, many practical applications of electrostatics exist, including photocopiers, laser printers, ink-jet printers and electrostatic air filters.
Glossary
Van de Graaff generator
a machine that produces a large amount of excess charge, used for experiments with high voltage
electrostatics
the study of electric forces that are static or slow-moving
photoconductor
a substance that is an insulator until it is exposed to light, when it becomes a conductor
xerography
a dry copying process based on electrostatics
grounded
connected to the ground with a conductor, so that charge flows freely to and from the Earth to the grounded object
laser printer
uses a laser to create a photoconductive image on a drum, which attracts dry ink particles that are then rolled onto a sheet of paper to print a high-quality copy of the image
ink-jet printer
small ink droplets sprayed with an electric charge are controlled by electrostatic plates to create images on paper
electrostatic precipitators
filters that apply charges to particles in the air, then attract those charges to a filter, removing them from the airstream
This lesson is part of:
Electric Charge and Electric Field