Question

1.6 Pinwheel When placed near a Van de Graaf generator, a pinwheel will rotate. Can it rotate in any direction? Or will it rotate in a certain direction only? If it rotates only in one direction, which direction is it? Based on the diagram (top view), will it rotate clockwise or counterclockwise? Explain your reasoning. Topview 1.7 A Rolling Can A neutral metal can of radius R = 3.50 cm and mass m = 2.00 g is rolling without slipping on a level surface as a positively charged rod is kept at a distance 4.00 cm from the center of the can. If the can accelerates at 0.227 cm/s?, how many electrons are in the can?

Answer 1

1.6)

When placed near a Van de Graaf generator, the pinwheel will rotate in only a specific direction.

Based on the image (top view), it will rotate in clockwise direction.

Van de Graaf generator is at a very high potential. As a result the pinwheel prong as well as the air near the prong is ionized. Free electron is sprayed into the air near each pinwheel prong. The sprayed electrons form a cloud of ions in the air. Each negative pinwheel prong is repelled by its associated negative ion cloud, causing the pinwheel to rotate.