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Answers to Readers' Questions on Basics of Static Electricity by Ron Kurtus - Succeed in Understanding Physics. Also refer to physical science, static cling, attract, repel, triboelectric, atoms, electrons, negative, protons, positive, sparks, lightning, Ben Franklin, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions
Answers to Readers' Questions on Basics of Static Electricity
The following 240 questions have been answered. They are listed according to date.
List of first 10 items
- Are static sparks a form of plasma?
- How can I make paper stick to me?
- Making hair stand on end
- Third grader doing science fair experiment
- Why aren't metal good for statc electricity?
- What effect does static electricity have on matter?
- Does lightning come from the cloud or the ground?
- Stick papers to notice board
- Explain AC and DC for my project
- Negative effect of static electricity in daily lives
Are static sparks a form of plasma?
Question
December 6, 2010
PLASMA
I heard that when you pass current through gas you get plasma (4th state of matter).
Does this happen when we sea Static sparks ?
Despot - Serbia
20804
Answer
Yes, static electric sparks and lightning are cases where of the air has been heated so much an ionized, such that it becomes a plasma.
How can I make paper stick to me?
Question
September 19, 2010
how can i make plain stock paper being blown around me stick to me (is there a "tibelectric series" potential)?
brian - USA
20407
Answer
Either you or the paper must have a static electricity charge. It is preferred that both of you are charged with opposite charges.
Often pay per that is blown around will pick up and electrical charge. However, it may not be sufficient to stick to you. In newspaper companies, they have rolls of paper that are moving rapidly. That paper often creates enough charge to stick to things and even cause sparks.
Making hair stand on end
Question
September 15, 2010
Hello I have a question about static electricity that has been bugging me. We all know what happens when you brush your hair , the static electricity created as a result of the contact and rubbing , so what if we had an static electricity generator with more power than the one simply created when we brush and put it close to the hair WITHOUT rubbing or touching it would the hair still rise towards the generator or not ? If not then what would make the hair rise towards the generator without rubbing it to another surface? Please explain im trying to do an experiment here.
- USA
20381
Answer
Using a Van de Graaff generator is a common way to make a person's stand on end, due to static electricity. See:
http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/static_generating.htm
By touching the globe of the generator, the body becomes charged and the charged hairs separated from each other. The globe, body and hairs all have the same charge.
Now, you could create an opposite charge on some other object, such that the charged hair would be attracted to that object.
Third grader doing science fair experiment
Question
January 7, 2010
My third grade daughter is doing a science fair project. She was tired of static cling and wanted to know what type of material would produce the least. She's got three squares of materials (100% cotton, 100% polyester, 80/20 polyester/cotton blend). She's rubbed a separate balloon on each fabric five times, then pressed the balloon to the fabric and timed how long they stay attached. She needs to do three trials. Here are the results:
Trial One:
Cotton -- did not cling
Polyester -- 1 second
Blend -- 8 minutes
Touched skin to surface of all cloth and balloons, move to Trial Two.
Trial Two:
Cotton -- didn't cling
Polyester -- 1 hour 20 minutes
Blend -- gave up after 3 hours (!)
Reset the surfaces
Trial Three:
Could not get the balloons to stick to any of the cloths.
I'm at a loss to explain to her why we went from having to wait for three hours (and giving up) to not being able to stick the balloon any longer. I also have no idea why the polyester/cotton blend fabric is creating more static than the 100% polyester since the cotton should be neutral. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Joe - USA
18993
Answer
That is a good experiment, especially since you tried several items several times.
In such an experiment, your goal was to see which material stuck the most or least, under different conditions. It doesn't require or show why the results were different, although you can make some educated guesses.
When you touched the surfaces for Trial Two, you changed something, such that the times were different. Either you drained off excess electrons into your body or you added electrons from your body. It is difficult or impossible to tell which.
With the third trial, just the opposite probably happened, causing things to fail. For example, if you drained electrons into your body in Trial Two, you may have added extra electrons after you touched the material for Trial Three.
Good job on your experiment, and I am sure your daughter will do well in the science fair.
Why aren't metal good for statc electricity?
Question
December 25, 2009
Why is it better not to use metals to create static electricity?
- USA
18924
Answer
Static electricity primarily consists of electrical charges on the surface of the material. Metals and other conductors dissipate the charges into the material. That is way metals are used in electrical wire, because the charges move easily in them, as opposed to staying on the surface.
What effect does static electricity have on matter?
Question
December 22, 2009
What effects does STATIC ELECTRICITY exactly have on matter?
- USA
18912
Answer
Static electricity primarily consists of electrical charges on the surface of nonconductors, although it can also be on the surface of nonconductors.
Static sparks can damage materials, but in general the electrical charges have little effect on most materials.
Does lightning come from the cloud or the ground?
Question
February 7, 2009
Does lightning come from the ground up ro from the clouds to the earth? I Hope to hear from you soon :) Bye
-Jacie
Jacie - USA
17229
Answer
The clouds build up the electrical charges, such that the lightning bolt will jump from that buildup to some other object. Thus, the first bolt of from the cloud to the ground.
But then the ground can get charged from the lightning bolt and send another bolt up to the cloud. It can go back and forth several times.
Stick papers to notice board
Question
August 28, 2008
dear sir
can i fix papers on the notice board using static electricity?
if yes how can i impliment it.
waiting for reply
abdul azeez - India
16423
Answer
The problem is that the static electricity leaks off in a short while and the papers will fall to the floor. Also, if the notice board is made of cork, the static electricity does not work well.
Explain AC and DC for my project
Question
July 20, 2008
i am doing a project all about static electricity at my school and i am doing it in a powerpoint presentation. it really helped me but could you explain ac or dc electricity? thanks for the help.
Rebecca - UK
16287
Answer
DC or direct current electricity usually comes from electrical batteries, although there are also DC generators available. DC electricity travels directly from one terminal of the battery to the other, thus its name.
AC or alternating current electricity is only created by an AC generator. The current first moves in one direction and then changes to move in the reverse direction. It is a more effective way to power electrical devices.
Note that both AC and DC travel through a wire and require a complete circuit with a wire going from one electrical terminal to another to work.
Static electricity is the collection of electrical charges on the surface of a material that is non-conducting or conducts electricity poorly. It creates a number of unusual effects. If you create a circuit from an object with positive (+) charges to one where negative (-) charges collected on the surface, using a wire or other conducting material, static electricity will behave like DC and can even light a small bulb for a short time.
I hope this helps in your project.
Negative effect of static electricity in daily lives
Question
June 17, 2008
I have a simple question to forward to you, Wat are the negative effect of static electricity on our daily basis.
alexander - Namibia
16099
Answer
Static electricity does not bother most people. But some people have problems with getting static electric shocks, especially in dry climates. Others may find their clothes sticking to them, especially synthetic fibers.
A positive effect is that static electricity is used in copy machines to make copies. It is also used in some air filters.
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Answers to Readers' Questions on Basics of Static Electricity