Question
Static Electricity
Sally puts on wool socks and rubs her feet on a nylon carpet. How does static electricity build up in Sally?
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
Static electricity builds up in Sally due to the process of triboelectric charging, which occurs when two different materials come into contact and are then separated. In this case, Sally's wool socks and the nylon carpet are the two different materials.
Here's how the process works:
1. **Contact**: When Sally rubs her feet (in wool socks) on the nylon carpet, the two materials come into contact. During this contact, electrons can transfer from one material to the other.
2. **Electron Transfer**: Wool tends to lose electrons and become positively charged, while nylon tends to gain electrons and become negatively charged. This happens because of the differing affinities of the materials for electrons; wool has a higher tendency to lose electrons compared to nylon’s tendency to gain them.
3. **Separation**: As Sally continues to rub her feet and then separates them from the carpet, the electrons that were transferred do not easily return. The wool socks have a deficiency of electrons (positive charge), and the nylon carpet has an excess of electrons (negative charge).
4. **Charge Accumulation**: The separation leaves Sally's wool socks with a positive charge due to a lack of electrons. If the socks accumulate enough positive charge, and Sally comes into contact with a conductive object or another person, she can discharge the built-up static electricity, often resulting in a small shock.
In summary, static electricity builds up in Sally due to the transfer of electrons between her wool socks and the nylon carpet, leading to an imbalance of electrical charges.
Here's how the process works:
1. **Contact**: When Sally rubs her feet (in wool socks) on the nylon carpet, the two materials come into contact. During this contact, electrons can transfer from one material to the other.
2. **Electron Transfer**: Wool tends to lose electrons and become positively charged, while nylon tends to gain electrons and become negatively charged. This happens because of the differing affinities of the materials for electrons; wool has a higher tendency to lose electrons compared to nylon’s tendency to gain them.
3. **Separation**: As Sally continues to rub her feet and then separates them from the carpet, the electrons that were transferred do not easily return. The wool socks have a deficiency of electrons (positive charge), and the nylon carpet has an excess of electrons (negative charge).
4. **Charge Accumulation**: The separation leaves Sally's wool socks with a positive charge due to a lack of electrons. If the socks accumulate enough positive charge, and Sally comes into contact with a conductive object or another person, she can discharge the built-up static electricity, often resulting in a small shock.
In summary, static electricity builds up in Sally due to the transfer of electrons between her wool socks and the nylon carpet, leading to an imbalance of electrical charges.