Many of you will already have come across static electricity. You can feel its effects by :
1) Walking across a rug without shoes on and reaching for a metal door knob.
Q) Why do you get a shock or does you hair stand on end ?
Well, as we found out earlier atoms have the same number of protons and electrons and so are electrically neutral. However when things rub together electrons can move from one atom to another leaving some atoms with more electrons and others with less electrons. Some atoms then obtain a negative charge and those which lose electrons are left with a positive charge. This type of charge separation is called STATIC ELECTRICITY.
1) When you walk across the carpet, electrons move from the rug to you. You now have extra electrons and are electrically charged ! The door knob which is made of metal is a conductor and when you touch it electrons move from you to the door knob and you get a shock.
2) When you remove your woollen hat it rubs against your hair and electrons move from you hair to the hat. Your hair is then left with a positive charge. Since like charges repel each other the hairs try to get as far away from each other as possible. They do this by standing up and away from each other.
In the summer the air around us is much more humid so there is more
water in
it. The water helps the electrons move off you much more quickly so
you cannot build up as much charge or static electricity. The damp
summer air is a much better conductor than the dry winter air.
Click on the links below to find out things you can try with static electricity.
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