Static electricity is a stationary charge that build up on people or objects. When two nonmagnetic objects (e.g., your hair and a comb) are rubbed together, electrons from one material will move to the object that is more positively charged. It's the adhesive force that pulls off electrons, not the friction itself, as is commonly believed.Dry human skin and hair give up electrons (become positively charged) when rubbed against teflon, nylon, or vinyl (which become negatively charged). If you charge a plastic comb, you can use it to observe how static electricity acts. Combing your hair gives each strand a charge. Since the hairs have the same charge, they will repel each other, possibly causing your hair to stand on end. The static charge on the comb is opposite of that of tap water, so you can use the comb to pull a stream of water toward a charged comb.
Grab a Comb and Let's Get Started!
Comments
if you bend water with a negative charge if you get a negative charged magnet it could just atract water right?
Why the plastic comb attract plastic tap? Water is a neutral material with zero total charge. We know that comb has negative charge, but water has positive charge and negative as well. Why the positive ones attracted by comb and the negative ones don’t repelled by it?
Keivan,
You are correct. Water is polar, so part of each molecule is attracted to the charge on the comb and part is repelled. Since water is a liquid, the molecules can and do orient themselves in response to an electromagnetic field.