Charged Particles in Matter

Have you ever tried to attract small pieces of paper with comb after combing dry hair or attract an inflated balloon with glass rod after rubbing rod with silk? What do you think, why they attract?

In our previous blog we talked about molecular mass and mole concepts. Today we are going to talk about charged particles in matter and some of their interesting behavior.

It was known by 1900 that atom was not a simple, individual particle but contained at least one subatomic particle - the electron identified by J.J. Thomson in 1897. Even before the electron was identified, E. Goldstein in 1886 discovered the presence of new radiations in a gas discharge and called them canal rays.

Later we found that the canal rays were positively charged radiations which ultimately led to the discovery of another subatomic particle. This subatomic particle also had a charge, equal in magnitude but opposite in behavior to that of the electron. Its mass was approximately 2000 times as that of electron. It was given the name of proton.

It seemed highly likely that an atom was composed of protons and electrons, mutually balancing their charges. It also appeared from study that the protons were in the interior of the atom for whereas electrons could easily be peeled off but not protons.

Basically these electrons and protons are the reason why comb and glass rod attract small paper pieces and inflated balloons. We will explain this concept deeply in electrostatics. Until than try to figure it out on your own.

Fore more details refer to Beyond Reaction: Fundamental Chemistry

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