EVANSTON, Ill. -- Most people have experienced the hair-raising effect of rubbing a balloon on their head or the subtle spark caused by dragging socked feet across the carpet. Although these ...

Ancient Greeks discovered that when animal fur and amber were rubbed together, the fur could be used to attract feathers, glass dust and other lightweight objects. It wasn’t until 1600 AD, however, ...

Sometimes when you touch something metal, you can get a little electric shock, even if it’s not connected to a power source. And it’s all because of static electricity. Static electricity is a build ...

Static electricity shock which occurs more often in winter is unpleasant. When two different objects are in repeated contact, it causes friction which then creates static electricity. This can be ...

To put it simply, static electricity is the small buildup of electrical charge on the surface of an object. It occurs when materials rub against each other and the friction often comes with a transfer ...

Door handles, taps, playground slides, furry pets… Getting zapped by static electricity is a common experience. But the physics that causes the spark is surprisingly intricate. If you’re getting ...