Electric charges and static electricity

Electric charges and static electricity

1. Friction

   • The friction between 2 different materials, causes the build up of static charges
     • Positive charges in the material which has lost electrons
     • Negative charges in the material which has gained electrons

2. Materials

   • Insulators
     • Insulators are materials which have static electricity and when you rub together 2 materials insulators the charges stay separated
   • Conductors
     • Conductors are materials where the electrons move freely and the charges are quickly neutralized

3. Discharge

   • When electrons have strong charges they may jump from the negative to the positive charges before the 2 materials come into contact and the discharge can be dangerous
     • Dangerous:
       • This is the reason because on a dry day you can see sparks when you touch a metal object or another person

4. Ground/lightning rods

   • During storms, an electric charges may jump from the negatively charged particles at the bottom of a cloud to the ground below. The energy in a stroke of lightning is enormous, therefore tall buildings are protected from it by lightning rods that conduct the electricity in to the ground