Think of the electrons surrounding the nuclei of the molecules within the insulator as shifting to the side a bit, creating enough of a polarization charge to produce attraction.barryj said:This seems reasonable if the bits of paper were metallic. However, since the paper is an insulator how could the charges move??
Do not think of the paper bits as gaining or losing electrons. They do not. Just think of the electrons of the paper shifting away a bit due to the negative charge of the comb. Once they have shifted, so that the paper becomes polarized, then the positive charges of the paper are slightly closer to the comb than the electrons are. Thus the attractive force on the positive charges is stronger than the repulsive force on the electrons. The net effect is an attractive force acting on the paper bits. As nasu says, to quantify the force is not so simple as the force between two charges.barryj said:I am still struggling with why a comb, or balloon would pick up uncharged paper bits because nothing has been done to the paper bits to add or subtract electrons. We could assume that the molecules and atoms could orientate themselves so as to be attracted but on the average, it seems to me this is hard to imagine. I can visualize the comb losing or gaining electrons due to the physical rubbing. I have a friend here that has a Van de Graph generator. He places a cup of Styrofoam bits on the upper terminal and when turned on, the bits all are repelled from the cup. This is a matter of repulsion not attraction but here again, the Styrofoam is an insulator and should not allow electrons to move. I'll keep thinking on the subject but yourt suggestion is a good one.
Electric force is a fundamental force of nature that describes the attraction or repulsion between charged particles. It is responsible for the interactions between electrons and protons in atoms, as well as the movement of electricity through wires and circuits.
Electric force is calculated using Coulomb's law, which states that the force between two charged particles is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Electric force and gravitational force are both fundamental forces of nature, but they act on different types of particles. While electric force acts on charged particles, such as electrons and protons, gravitational force acts on all particles with mass. Additionally, electric force can be both attractive and repulsive, while gravitational force is always attractive.
The strength of electric force decreases with distance according to the inverse square law. This means that as the distance between two charged particles increases, the force between them decreases by a factor of four.
Electric force is essential for many technological advancements, including the creation of batteries, generators, and electric motors. It is also responsible for the functioning of electronic devices such as computers, smartphones, and televisions. In nature, electric force plays a crucial role in the formation of lightning and the functioning of the human nervous system.