GCSE PHYSICS - How does a Photocopier Work? - How is Electrostatic Charge used in a Photocopier?

gcsescience.com 10 gcsescience.com

How does a Photocopier work?

How is Electrostatic Charge used in a Photocopier?

A photocopier uses electrostatic charge to produce a copy.

The original (the page you want copied) is placed onto a sheet of glass.
An image of this page is projected onto a positively charged drum.

The drum has a coating that conducts electricity when light falls
on it. The parts of the drum which are lit by the projected image
lose their electrostatic charge when they start to conduct.

A black powder (called toner) is negatively charged.
The toner is attracted to the positively charged parts of the drum.
The drum rotates and rolls against a piece of copier paper.
The toner is transferred from the drum to
the paper making a black and white image of the original.

Finally, the paper is heated which makes the toner stick to it.
This is called "fixing" the image. When you use a
photocopier you can feel that the copier paper is still warm.

Links Electrostatic Charge Revision Questions

gcsescience.com Physics Quiz Index Electrostatic Charge Quiz gcsescience.com

Home GCSE Chemistry GCSE Physics