This memory aid covers Memory Aids within Static Electricity for GCSE Physics. Revise Static Electricity in Electricity for GCSE Physics with 15 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 11 of 15 in this topic. Use it for quick recall, then test yourself straight afterwards so the memory aid becomes usable in an answer.
Topic position
Section 11 of 15
Practice
15 questions
Recall
12 flashcards
🧠 Memory Aids
LIUR — Like and Unlike Charges:
Like charges — I push away (repel) | Unlike charges — Rush together (attract)
LIUR = Like Repel, Unlike Attract
The "only electrons move" trick:
Think of the nucleus as a locked vault — protons are inside and can't get out. Only electrons are on the outside, free to move. When you rub two materials together, electrons are the only thing that can transfer.
Field line direction — the "positive tourist" trick:
Imagine a tiny positive tourist dropped into the electric field. Which way would they travel? They'd be repelled from positive charges and attracted to negative ones. The arrows on field lines show exactly where the tourist would go.
Lightning conductor — "the pointed path":
A pointed conductor has the strongest electric field at its tip. Think of it as the easiest exit for charge — like a drain in a bathtub. Charge leaks away continuously and gently through the point, instead of building up to a violent lightning strike.