An electrostatic crop sprayer gives the insecticide droplets a negative charge.
The plants are initially uncharged. They are connected to earth through their stems and roots.
Explain how the leaves become positively charged as the negatively charged droplets approach.
Use the idea of an electric field in your answer.
A gardener uses the same sprayer on plants in pots that stand on a dry plastic sheet. The plants are insulated from earth.
Explain why fewer droplets reach the leaves of these plants.
Give two reasons why using an electrostatic sprayer is better for the environment than using a sprayer that does not charge the droplets.
80 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 11.2 Uses, dangers and electric fields, covering 11.2.1 Uses of electrostatic charge, 11.2.2 Dangers of sparking, 11.2.3 Electric fields, and 11.2.4 Electric fields and static electricity. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.