by Elaine Sihera

Created on: November 12, 2009   Last Updated: November 15, 2009

If you have ever had an instance where you feel a sudden shock when you touch something or your hair stands on end, that is an example of static electricity. This is a form of magnetism that is usually caused when certain kinds of materials are rubbed against each other, like plastic against wool, or the soles of shoes on a carpet. Rubbing causes electrons to be pulled from the surface of one item and deposited on the surface of the other. The more rubbing, the more electrons move, and the larger the static charge that builds up. The object that loses the electrons ends up having too many positive charges while the ones gaining it have too many negative charges on its surface area. The ensuing small shock is usually quite harmless but it can be a bit unnerving if not understood and the place to begin is in appreciating the nature of objects.

All matter in our world, everything which surrounds us, is composed of invisible units called atoms. Every atom appears like an empty space but it actually has three parts to it: the centre which is called a 'nucleus' which also contains two tiny particles called protons (which are positively charged) and neutrons (that have no charge, hence why they are neutral). Orbiting around the nucleus are even tinier particles called electrons that are negatively charged, the opposite of the protons. Protons, neutrons and electrons are very different from each other, having their own properties, or characteristics, and it is one of these properties that is called an electrical charge. The charge of one proton is equal in strength to the charge of one electron. When the number of protons in an atom equals the number of electrons, the atom itself has no overall charge, it becomes neutral. To get a better image of an atom is to imagine a simple solar system, with the negative electron particles constantly moving around the nucleus and its contents in orbiting waves.

Of course, with such a formation it stands to reason that everything around us will be made up of charges. The opposite charges in each object will attract each other while similar charges will repel one another. What makes an object neutral is that its positive and negative charges usually balance each other so we would not be affected by any of its electrical activity. However, static electricity occurs when there is an imbalance between the negative electron and positive proton charges in any item. These charges often build up on the surface of the object until they can

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