Is Lightning Static Electricity: Detailed Insights

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Nature displays electrostatics in a most tremendous way through lightning. In this article, we ponder, ‘Is lightning static electricity?’

Lightning is a perfect example of static electricity, i.e., charges are static. The static discharge between two clouds or between cloud and ground that are oppositely charged is what happens during lightning. Static charges build up when there is turbulence in storm clouds, resulting in huge electric spark.

The electrostatic aspect of lightning is described in detail below.

Read more about What Causes Static Electricity: In Body, House, Air, Clothes, Winter 

Is lightning current electricity?

Current electricity implies that there is a steady flow of charge (electrons) through a conductor as opposed to static electricity where charges are static.

Lightning is an example of static electricity and not current electricity. In static electricity, there is a build-up of opposite charges and discharge occurs across the insulator (like air, glass, etc) due to the strong attraction between them. In contrast, electric current flow or electron flow in current electricity happens only through the conducting material. Any type of insulator gaps restricts the flow of charged particles. 

Lightning discharge occurs between two oppositely charged clouds or between a cloud and ground. It is obvious that air acts as an insulator in between during discharge. This confirms that lightning is not an example of current electricity.

Read more about Is Static Electricity A Contact Force: How And Why

How is lightning static electricity?

When a thundercloud is formed, with ice crystals and water droplets, collisions between these particles generate charge buildup. The accumulation of charge is in such a way that the lighter positive charges build up at the topmost region of the clouds and the negative charges being heavy stay at the bottom portion of the clouds. 

When this charge buildup becomes strong enough, electric field due these charges ionizes the air and discharges. The static discharge might be between two oppositely charged clouds or from cloud to ground. Since the air (inspite of being an insulator) gets ionized, the discharge may strike any nearest object like trees, tall buildings, human beings or animals, etc. Thus, lightning is static electricity.

Read more about Is Electrostatic Force Conservative: Exhaustive Insights

Why is lightning static electricity?

Whenever there is an accumulation of opposite charges separated by an insulator, it is termed static electricity. The insulator gap can be air, glass, plastic, etc. When the opposite charges become strong enough a discharge takes place through the insulator gap. Charge discharge through an air gap may result in visible shock.

During lightning, there is tremendous accumulation of charges in the clouds that the nearby air gets ionized. The discharge due to such a strong charge buildup results in high voltage electric spark which is extremely dangerous if it strikes living organisms. Often times the discharge occurs within or between clouds that are oppositely charged. But sometimes the ground gets positively charged and the negative charge of clouds results in discharge through the air. 

There is no steady charge flow anywhere during a lightning but only discharge through an insulator and hence, lightning is static electricity.

Does static electricity cause lightning?

When a storm cloud is accumulated with charges, i.e., static electricity, lightning occurs. During thunder or rainstorm, water droplets or water vapor in certain clouds freezes to form ice crystals. When these ice crystals collide against each other, there is static buildup of charges due to friction. It is in a similar manner as charges accumulate in a balloon when rubbed with hair or clothes.

These charge accumulation occurs in such a way that positive charges move to the topmost region of the clouds as they are light and the negative charges move to the bottom part of the clouds being heavy. When the charge separation become strong enough such that the electric potential difference between them becomes very powerful, there will be static discharge.

The air surrounding the clouds gets ionized despite being an insulator. The negatively charged region of the cloud have an affinity for anything positive. If the ground is positive discharge takes place between cloud and the ground. Sometimes it happens between two clouds, or between a cloud and any object on the ground.

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Spark during lightning
Image Credits: Pixabay

Static electricity has the ability to generate sparks that in certain situations, extreme care should be taken to avoid explosions. The tiny spark can generate fires when it comes into contact with flammable substances. For example, refueling tankers or aircrafts are extremely dangerous situations. The fuel passing through the hose of the vehicle can generate sparks which might ignite the fuel and cause explosions. To prevent this the hoses of the vehicle is grounded.

Read more about How Does Static Electricity Work: Detailed Insights

Also Read:

What Causes Static Electricity: In Body, House, Air, Clothes, Winter

In this article, we will discuss what causes static electricity and other factors related to it. 

Whenever opposite charges are not regulated, static electricity is generated. Protons and neutrons do not really move so much, while radicals love to bounce everywhere! A negative charge is assigned to an item (or person) when it contains additional electrons. 

The simplest way to create static electricity is to use electricity-restricting substances termed insulators, which include rubber, cotton, and hair. Electrons make currents in electricity, which powers phones, lights, and practically all other electronics, bypassing between atoms in conductive substances such as a copper wire.

The atoms of insulators, on the other hand, do not allow electricity to move freely; instead, they acquire their title by impeding electron passage. 

What causes static electricity in the body? 

Whenever electrons are handed up by substances such as glass, hair, or some kinds of fabric due to friction, and those electrons accumulate voltage, the substance grows more prone to draw an electric current, which we experience as a static shock, also called an electrostatic shock. 

What causes static electricity in the house? 

One of the primary causes of static electricity is dry air.

The dryness of the winter months may be bothersome during this time of year. A shortage of moisture in your house may cause problems with wood furniture and carpeting, as well as uncomfortable health concerns. That is why it is advisable to include a humidifier that will guard against all of these issues. 

What causes static electricity in the air? 

Because air is an insulator, electrons cannot easily flow through it. When there is more moisture in the air, electrons may flow around more easily. Substances that scrape versus one other or things that are traveling apart create electric charges. 

What causes static electricity in hair? 

Whenever the substance of your hat scrapes against your hair strands, electrons are exchanged.  As a consequence of the switch, an electric charge piles up on the hair. If there is enough moisture in the air, the charge will generally dissipate. 

What causes static electricity in clothes? 

Static energy in clothing causes static hold. When bits of fabric brush across one other, such as in a hairdryer, an electrostatic charge builds upon them owing to the triboelectric effect. Separately charged positive and negative materials repel each other. 

What causes static electricity in winter? 

Heat is lower in the cold season. You have a reduced humidity level and reduced aqueous vapor in the air because cold air stores less liquid than hot air. Your skin can hold a bigger charge since there is less moisture vapor in the air to transport the charges away from you. 

What causes static electricity in blankets? 

Several fabrics are more prone to jolt people in the dead of cold whenever the wind is dry if it pertains to your mattress.

Electrostatic cling is a problem with rayon, acetate, polyester, and nylon, therefore avoid them if at all feasible. Instead, choose a fabric that is more natural, such as cotton, wool, silk, or linen. 

What material causes static electricity? 

Wool, human hair, dry skin, silk, nylon, tissue paper, plastic wrap, and polyester are substances that prefer to acquire or release electrons, and we may have discovered that they pushed the metal ball identically to the Styrofoam plate once you tested them. 

What force causes static electricity? 

Substances are held collectively by a force known as the adhesive molecular force.

The adhesive molecular force, on either hand, removes electrons from one substance and deposits them in the other when two dissimilar materials are squeezed together and then torn apart. As a consequence of the ion breakup, static electricity is generated.  

How to remove static electricity from the body? 

Allowing static electricity to accomplish whatever it desires – release from your skin into the ground – is the quickest approach to get rid of static electricity in the system. Contact any metallic substance that is not separated from the surface, such as a lamp panel bolt or a metal streetlight pole, to enable this. 

Friction and dissociation are most likely the most prevalent causes of static in industries that produce film and sheet. It occurs when the material is unwound or travels over a roller. This mechanism is not known exactly, but the best comparison for how static electricity is created here is a comparison with a plate capacitor, in which mechanical power used to divide the plates of a capacitor is turned into electric power. 

Whenever the material comes into contact with the roller, a tiny charge is transferred from the substance to the roller, generating an imbalance. The voltage is amplified when the material exits the roller, much like the dividing layers of a capacitor. 

In actuality, the magnitude of the resulting voltage is limited by the disintegration power of the adjacent substances, surface conduction, and so on. As the substance exits the roller, you may hear minor crackles of static discharge. This is the point at which the static has exceeded the disintegration power of the neighbouring air. 

Sudden Temperature Change 

Pyroelectricity is the capacity of some substances to create static electricity when warmed or chilled. Polymer mouldings, in the example, are susceptible to accumulating static charges when they cool following shaping or later temperature processing. Until a plastic product is substantially cold, it is not electrically stable: A common goal temperature for electrical reliability is 40o – 50o C. 

High-Intensity Radiation 

Although it is uncommon in the industry, exposure to UV, X-rays or high electric fields can result in the formation of a static charge. Plastic films that have been Corona treated to increase printability frequently display unwelcome amounts of static energy. 

Action on Cutting 

A static charge will be generated throughout the sheet cutting, slashing, and editing procedures. On a single page level, this might not be a big issue, but when numerous sheets or parts are piled, the ‘cell effect’ can build a considerable and potentially dangerous static charge. 

Induction 

If a controller sporting thermal insulating footwear stands inside the area of a static generating process, then steps away and contacts an earthed object, they may suffer a painful but normally innocuous static release. It can be harmful not because of the electrical jolt, but due to the operator’s uncontrolled ‘recoil’ response. 

All matter is made up of atoms. Protons, electrons, and neutrons make up an atom. Neutrons are chargeless, while protons have a positive value and electrons possess a negative charge. As a result, everything is made up of ions. Charges that are diametrically opposed are attracted to one another (negative to positive).

Similar ions oppose one another (positive to positive or negative to negative). Most of the time, positive and negative charges in an entity are balanced, rendering it neutral. 

Static electricity is caused by an unbalance of negative and positive ions in a given item. These charges can build up on an object’s surface before being discharged or dissipated. A circuit is one method of discharging them. 

Negative ions, or electrons, can be transferred by rubbing certain substances versus one another. When you wipe your shoe on the floor, for instance, your body gathers more electrons. Before they may be liberated, electrons adhere to the human body. You feel a jolt when you reach out to touch your fuzzy pet. Don’t panic, it’s just your excess electrons being delivered to your unwitting pet. 

What about the “hair-raising” encounter?

As you discard your hat, electrons flow from the hat to your hair, resulting in that unique hairstyle! Keep in mind that things with equal value repel one another. Your hair will spike on end since they have the equivalent charge. 

Your hairs are merely attempting to go as far apart as feasible! Whenever you brush a balloon across your clothing and it adheres to the door, then add an excess of electrons (negative charges) to the balloon’s skin. The balloon now has a higher positive charge than the wall. Since opposites attract, the balloon will attach to the two when they come into touch (positive to negative). 

Explore the Online References additional And Studying pages for extra static electricity knowledge and exercises. 

Frequently asked questions| FAQs 

Ques. What is a basic understanding of static electricity? 

Ans. Static electricity is a well-known electric phenomenon that involves the transmission of charged ions from one object to another.

For example, when two items are rubbed together, the objects accumulate equivalent and contrary charges, particularly if the items are insulators and the nearby air is dry. 

Ques. Is static electricity dangerous? 

Ans. Static electricity is not harmful, which is fantastic news. Our body is mostly water, and water is an ineffective conductor of electrical current, particularly in such small volumes. That is not to say that electricity cannot harm or kill you. 

Ques. How do you remove static electricity from a trampoline? 

Ans. To generate more electrical currents on a trampoline, you must produce a lot more resistance. Roll about on the mat, rubbing your hair on the trampoline. If we do this for ten seconds, we should generate sufficient resistance to generate a significant quantity of static electricity. 

Ques. How can I avoid static electricity? 

Ans. Carrying a safety pin or metallic key in your wallet may be the simplest way to deal with static electricity.

Contacting with it first releases electron charges to protect against shocks. Furthermore, before placing it on clothing, use a metallic hook and gently brush it against them. 

Ques. Is there a current in static electricity? 

Ans. The charge persists until it can be removed by an electric current or electrical release. Static electricity is distinguished from current electricity by the fact that the electric charge moves via an electrically conducting or vacuum and transfers power. 

Ques. How can one distinguish between static electricity and electricity? 

Ans. The primary distinction between static and current electricity is that with static electricity, ions are at rest and accumulate on the skin of the insulator. In contrast, electrons move within the wire in current electricity. 

Ques. As we touch somebody, why do we sense a current? 

Ans. Whenever a body or item has too many electrons, it generates a negative charge. As a result, these electrons are drawn to the positive electrons (reverse attracts) of some other item or person, and vice versa. The fast migration of these electrons causes the shock that humans occasionally experience. 

Whatever we see surrounding us is composed of the basic architecture of components known as atoms. They are invisible to the naked eye and are made up of positive ions, negatively charged ions, and neutral neutrons. Almost all of the time, an atom is neutral, which means it has an equal proportion of protons and electrons.

However, when protons and electrons in an atom are in odd numbers, electrons become stimulated. Protons and neutrons do not move, and it is largely electrons that jump. 

Ques. What is the charge of a human hair? 

Ans. The charge that is negative 

According to Thomas, hair generally possesses a negative charge — similar to static electricity — but this is isolated by our hair’s protecting fatty coating. Injured hair has a stronger negative charge, which causes the hairs to physically want to split from one other, resulting in frizz. 

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Does Static Electricity Move: How, Why And Facts

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The static electricity is produced due to the presence of imbalance of the charges on the availability of foreign charged particles.

The static charges are stationary charges and the electric current is produced when these charges migrate on coming in contact with other bodies due to friction, external electric field, or on receiving the radiations.

How Much Does Static Electricity Move?

The static electricity is produced due to the induction of the charged particles which are stationary.

The static electricity is present in a region where the electrons migrate or show the force of attraction or repulsion between the available charges in the surrounding.

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Static Electricity; Image Credit: Pixabay

The charged particles attract or repel the unlike and like charges respectively thus producing induction current in a range within which this electrostatic force between the charged particles is felt.

Read more on Is Static Electricity A Contact Force: How And Why.

Does Static Electricity Move in a Path?

Static electricity is unlike a current flowing across a wire.

The static electricity is short-range mobility or discharge of the charges and travels through the shortest path as possible for a short span of time.

If there is an availability of the excess number of electrons with a particular object, then the object will look at a favorable situation to release these extra electrons to the matter which has a deficiency of the electrons. Accordingly, this object will show the electrostatic force of attraction towards the object which is deficient in electrons, and repulsion from the object which constitutes more number of electrons.

On coming in contact with the positively charged object or ground, these extra electrons will migrate towards the ground with sudden dispersion. It is obvious that the charges will flow in a path during their dissipation.

Read more on 25 List of Static Friction Examples: Insights and Critical FAQs.

Does Static Electricity Move Through a Current?

Static electricity is a result of a flow of ions through a conducting medium.

The flow of charges produces a current; well the direction of a current is in a direction opposite to the motion of electrons. A current produced due to the mobility of static charges produces static electricity.

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Static current from a bell; Image Credit: Pixabay

You must have experienced a shock while ringing a doorbell, from the nerves of your bones, touching lever-type doorknobs, during dry summers; this is due to the static current observed at a short-range and a weak electric force that occurs for a short span of time. A current produced due to the static charges depends upon their number of availability. If there is more number of electrons available then the current produced will be wide and the static electricity produced will have great potential.

Read more on 18+ Example of Static force: Detailed Analysis.

How Does Static Electricity Move?

The static electricity moves when the objects undergo friction, radiations, or comes in close contact with each other.

When the two objects are in close contact having efficiency or deficiency of some charged particles, then to balance the charge the object will show the force of attraction towards the other object to either accept or donate the charges.

For static electricity to occur there should be the availability of positive and negative charged objects. This phenomenon is continued until the objects are neutralized.

Read more on Is electrostatic force conservative: Exhaustive insights.

Can Static Electricity Move Objects?

Indeed there is a motion seen in the objects due to the attraction or repulsion between the excess charge carriers.

The object constituting more electrons will show the attractive force on placing an object having a deficiency of electrons, while a repulsive force on an object has a majority of electrons too.

You must be thinking, that if the static charges are stationary then how they will cause the objects to move. But they remain stable unless coming in close vicinity with another object.

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Ball stuck on the wall

If you rub a balloon across wool and hold it near your hair, then you will notice that the hair will attract towards the balloon. This is because on rubbing a balloon on wool the negatively charged particles are settled on the surface of the balloon which now attracts the hair towards itself as there is the deficiency of electrons in the hair.

Read more on Why the coefficient of static friction is always greater than kinetic friction.

How do Electrons Move in Static Electricity?

The electrons remain stable until there is a way to escape and neutralize the object.

As the object possessing more electrons comes in close contact with another object, these electrons quickly migrate towards the object generating static electricity.

Read more on 15+ Electrostatic Force Examples: Detailed Explanations.

What Causes the Electrons to Move and Form Static Electricity?

The motion of the electrons results in the production of a static current and forms static electricity.

The mobility of the charged particles is seen to balance the charges, thus accepting or donating the charges from one matter to another.

There are probably of receiving the migrating charges through a medium by every object. This efficiency or deficiency of electrons makes the object negative or positively charged respectively. The extra available electrons tend to fill the vacancy of electrons in positively charged objects. Hence, displaces from one object to another when comes in close contact with the majority of photons carriers. This migration results in the creation of current, this is called static current because it is a sudden discharging of electrons and static. The building up of current forms static electricity.

Read more on Electrostatic Force And Distance: What, When, How And Detailed Facts.

Frequently Asked Questions

On what factor does the impact of static electricity depend?

The static electricity is produced due to the migration of stationary charges from one object to another.

The impact of static electricity basically depends upon the cluster of the extra available electron or protons in a matter.

What do you mean by the static current?

The current is generally produced due to the flow of charges.

The static current is generated as the electrons from one object jump over the surface of another object when placed near it.

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Can Static Electricity Cause Fire: When, How, Indentifying , Approach And Facts

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This article focuses on the concept of static electricity causing fire, its approach and detailed facts.

The friction between the surfaces is the reason for static electricity this is why rubbing the substances against each other may result in the formation of static electricity. The friction present may also become the reason for a spark which readily ignites a flame or sometimes, flammable vapors that can caught fire.

A best example for this phenomenon is lightning. In other words, static electricity is observed when the material is not electrically neutral.

Let us now discuss whether the static electricity can cause fire or not.

Can static electricity cause fire?

Static electricity is found to be one of the most powerful forces in nature.

In some instances, a fire can be insisted by the creation of static electricity. It may also lead to some of the major risks. Anyhow, Static electricity is not as dangerous as an electric current in our plugs.

Next section explains the reason for the occurrence of fire due to static electricity.

Read more: Is static electricity a contact force.

How can static electricity cause fire?

An imbalance of charge in a material (or on the surface of a material) may give rise to static electricity.

The friction present may become the reason for a spark which readily ignites a flame or sometimes, flammable vapors that can caught fire in the material. A best example for this phenomenon is lightning. 

The friction between the surfaces is the reason for static electricity this is why rubbing the substances against each other may result in the formation of static electricity.

can static electricity cause fire
Image Credits: Pixabay free images

The following region deals with the polarity of static electricity.

Is static electricity negative?

The negativity of static electricity can be understood by seeing the polarity of the body after the formation of static electricity.

We have already learnt that static electricity is due to the acquisition of charges because of this gradual gathering of charges in the material there is an increase in the count of electrons thus the body eventually becomes negatively charged. This is the reason to say static electricity is negative.

How static electricity is formed?

An aquisition or gradual gathering of charges leads to the formation of static electricity.

Charges are the constituents of all matter. In most of the cases, objects are found to be neutral i.e., positive and negative charges are balanced in those objects. A charge imbalance between two types of charges (positive and negative) in the objects results in the formation of static electricity.

Until these charges get discharged, they are observed to be gathered at the surface of the objects. i.e., the material is said to be static or unactivated until it is transmitted.

Read more: Electric force examples.

Name some of the day-to-day applications of static electricity.

Below given are some of the common areas where static electricity is used and its significance,

Managing the pollution:  

The impurities or the dust particles (charged particles) in the air are made to settle on a collector that has opposite charge as the particles. These collector devices are called as electrostatic precipitators.

In factories:

The pollutants that come from the smokestacks are provided with a charge due to electricity. These particles from the smokestack get attached to the electrodes while the particles move near it.

can static electricity cause fire
Image credits: Pixabay free images

Purification of air:

Air fresheners work on the similar principle as that of the devices managing smokestack pollutants. Here, the electrons are stripped from impurities in the air such as dust particles.  Which makes them charged then they can be collected by a plate of opposite charge.

In automobile industries:

The manufactured automobiles are immersed in a container of paint which is supplied by an electrical charge thus the paint particles that are charged get sticked to the the body and are distributed uniformly over it.

car paint
Image credits: Pixabay free images

 All the above mentioned devices utilize the principle governing the phenomenon of static electricity and the fact that opposite charges attract.

Read more: Field force examples in daily life.

Some of the important facts observed in the phenomenon of static electricity are given below,

Frequently asked questions | FAQS

How static electricity is created?

There are many real-life examples in which static electricity is created.

By rubbing any two surfaces in contact with each other, static electricity can be created this is due to the friction between those two surfaces that are rubbed. One of these surfaces are demanded to be a insulator i.e., it is said to have large resistivity to flow of electrons.

A balloon that is rubbed against our clothes gets sticked to the wall this is due to the production of electrons on the balloon because of which it gets charged negatively and in comparision to the balloon now the wall is positively charged.

How many stages are seen in static electricity?

Static electricity is said to be consisting of 3 stages, which are given below,

What is the principle on which the static electricity generator works?

Static electricity generators are nothing but the sources that generate static electricity.

In general, static electricity is the consequence of charge imbalance in the material i.e., due to the presence of unequal positive and negative charges . These extra charges are said to be trapped inside the material as long as it is not transmitted or doesn’t have a path to get out of it.

The principle of electrostatic induction is followed by the static electricity generators. The friction that exists between the insulating materials also generates static electricity

What are the examples representing static electricity?

Below are some of the simplest examples of static electricity,

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Is Static Electricity A Contact Force: How And Why

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A force is said to be a contact force if the force is exerted on the object on coming in contact with that object. Let us discuss, whether is static electricity a contact force or a non-contact.

Static electricity is a non-contact force and occurs due to the imbalance of charges and displacement of charged particles. If the oppositely charged particles come in contact with zero space in between, then there will be no static electricity.

Does Static Electricity Move?

The word static means stable, the charges are not in a mobile state.

This is not like the normal electricity carried through a wire or any other components. When there is an imbalance of the charges, the charged particles may displace from one surface to another called an electric discharge.

The static current is generated when there is an extra number of protons or electrons available on the surface of the object or within it. Due to the vacancy or excess of charge, the object shows the force of attraction or repulsion towards oppositely charged particles same as the behavior of two poles of bar magnets.

Like electrostatics, this static force will be seen only when the two objects will be separated by some distance. If the two objects come in close contact with no gap in between then this static force will vanish as the particles will lose the charge and becomes balanced.

Read more on Why the coefficient of static friction is always greater than kinetic friction.

Will a Humidifier Help with Static Electricity?

The humidifiers are used as precautious in a dry climate and also help to reduce the influences of static electricity.

Moisture in the air does not allow static electricity to be built in. The presence of air molecules in a greater density absorbs the excess number of charges suspended in the air and terminates the flow of static electricity.

During the dry climate, the temperature is high and the spacing between the molecules increases. Due to this, the density of the molecules in the air per cubic volume decreases. Hence there are more chances of feeling static current in dry areas. Using humidifiers enhances the density of molecules in the air and makes the molecules more conductive thus reducing the effect of static electricity.

Read more on Is electrostatic force conservative: Exhaustive insights.

How can you create static electricity?

The static current can be generated when there are more electrons or protons available on the object.

On rubbing the two surfaces or hitting one object on the surface of another, can migrate some charges thus producing static electricity.

See the source image
Balloon stuck on a wall; Image Credit: Flickr

You must have noticed that a balloon gets stuck on the wall after rubbing it on wool, sticking a piece of paper on the scale on rubbing the scale on your hair. This is because, on rubbing, a few electrons which are negatively charged particles get stuck on the surface of the ruler or balloon, due to which it shows the static force of attraction towards other objects, as every object constitute both positive as well as negatively charged particles and these charges respond in accordance to the charges available in the surrounding.

You must have also noticed that when you go out in the hot sun, after a prolonged time your hair stands up vertically. This is because the charges incident on the hair absorbs these charges and becomes charged and attracts other aerosol particles in the surrounding.

Read more on 25 List of Static Friction Examples: Insights and Critical FAQs.

Does the static electricity produce is in a small scale or large?

The static electricity depends upon the availability of extra charges in a system and attraction and repulsion between the charges accordingly.

Basically, static electricity is a result when there is a discharge of the electrons, and the range of the static electricity produced depends upon the number of the availability of the charges.

Usually, static electricity does not cause high currents but if the number of available charged particles carrying similar charges is large, then the discharge of these charges is sudden and on a larger scale.

The static electricity is produced due to the high radiant energy, intense electric field, variations in the radiations, and even friction. If the availability of the electrons is higher in number, then the extra electrons will quickly migrate on coming in contact with an object carrying a different charge in the majority.

is static electricity a contact force
Discharge of charges from clouds; Image Credit: Pixabay

An example is a flash of lightning during rainy days. You know that the water vapours collect to form a cloud and the potential energy of the vapours turns into kinetic energy thus starts migrating. As the mass of the cloud becomes massive, the kinetic energy is further turned into potential energy. The charges get accumulates on the surface of the cloud. Lightning is caused when the air rubs against these charges and generates high currents as the accumulation of charged particles is more.

Read more on 18+ Example of Static force: Detailed Analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

How static electricity is used to control pollution?

The electrodes or charged plates are used to separate the pollutants before they escape into the environment.

The air pollutant does carry a charge. When the pollutant travels through the oppositely charged plates these particles get attracted towards them thus controlling the pollution.

What are the applications of static electricity?

Application of static electricity is widely used in different areas.

Some of the examples of static electricity are air filters, air fresheners, 3-D painting, Xerox machines, controlling pollution, etc.

Can static electricity produce in our body?

It is obvious that our body can produce static electricity as our body is made up of a number of elements and neuron systems.

The neuron system works on the electric signal passed to the brain from all the parts of our body. You must have felt a sudden shock-like electric signal upon hitting your joints.

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