What Causes a Person to Have a Lot of Static Electricity?
Y'all may consider fall to be the best time of yr in Phoenix, thanks to the mild weather. Still the conditions that produce this lovely seasonal interlude are responsible for one of life's petty annoyances.
Shocked? Exactly.
Thanks to a lack of humidity and layered wool clothing (among other factors), this is the fourth dimension of yr when you reach very tentatively toward that metal doorknob or refrigerator door handle. Maybe even when you lean in to kiss your partner, knowing the spark betwixt you will non be the one y'all were hoping for
Instead, it's the zap of a static electricity shock.
It could happen virtually someday, anywhere. All you need is a cursory buildup of static electricity followed by contact with a conductive material – most often metallic, but it could another person, or dog, or your boss (not that there is whatever reason to come into contact with your boss).
When it comes to static electricity, everyone is a conductor. Our bodies collect electrons, leading to a negativity has nada to do with emotions and everything to practise with static electricity.
What is static electricity?
Simply put, information technology is the buildup of an electrical charge on a surface.
You've probably rubbed your head with a balloon, your pilus rise as yous pulled it away, convincing your 2-year-old you're a magician.
Even as your child marvels at your powers, all that happened was the transfer of electrons. Some surfaces release electrons, giving them a positive charge (your pilus), while others gather electrons, giving them a negative accuse (the balloon). Opposites attract, thus the balloon becomes a pilus magnet.
Is static electricity harmful to humans?
Welcome to the world of hitchhiking electrons.
These free-range $.25 of atomic matter like to travel, but every now and and so they bunch upwards, creating intolerable overcrowding. Imagine Disneyland on Christmas Mean solar day.
They need to leave, quickly and all at in one case. Merely they demand somewhere to become.
Hey, that metal doorknob looks nice, and it's relatively uncrowded. And it sure beats the current location, which presumably is you.
As your index finger approaches the knob, zap! That tingle you feel is your pain receptors telling your encephalon how unpleasant it is to accept electrons rushing through. Yous might even see a spark if the belch of electrons is large plenty.
The good news is that static electricity can't seriously harm you. Your trunk is composed largely of water and water is an inefficient conductor of electricity, specially in amounts this small.
Not that electricity can't injure or kill you. But static electricity is to lightning what a driblet of h2o is to a roaring river.
Why is it happening now?
Arraign information technology on the dry air and cooler temperatures.
Air is an insulator — information technology doesn't allow electrons to travel freely. Those electrons tend to collect on yous until that moment you touch a surface that'south happy to welcome them.
The buildup of electrons is non nearly as pronounced in summer. Warmer air holds more water, which allows electrons to travel. That's why on warm, humid days, you can touch friends, loved ones and knobs with footling fear of shock.
How do I get rid of static electricity?
You may not eliminate all shocks, what with nature'southward affluence of electrons. Only you can lessen their frequency and intensity.
Amid the easiest and almost efficient fixes is to humidify your home, providing the h2o vapor needed for electrons to roam. Humidifiers cost anywhere from $15 to $250, depending on size and features.
For a more targeted application, try an anti-static spray ($5-$9 a tin can). A quick spritz on clothes and furniture can accept care of electron buildup.
Dryer sheets likewise can reduce static electricity. Rubbing them on carpeting once a week can lessen the risk of static shocks, just given the fourth dimension and work involved, you might think a few zaps are worth spending more time watching Telly.
Yous may want to avoid safety-soled shoes. You lot're walking on insulators, allowing static electricity to build with every step, specially on wool rug. Try leather-soled shoes instead.
And maybe don't wear wool. The textile is a more efficient conductor than cotton, meaning it can build upwards quite the static charge. You may even hear the crackle of static electricity equally yous pull on that flannel shirt or wrap yourself in a wool blanket. It'due south almost as if you put on a generator.
Whatsoever non-as-helpful tips?
Why yep, thank you for request.
First, avoid dressing in layers. Static buildup is a natural effect of fabrics rubbing together, so the more layers you wear, the greater the odds of shocking yourself or others. We say this fully aware that when it gets into the 50s and lower here, we wearing apparel equally if information technology'south snowing. (Quit laughing at us, Minnesotans.)
2nd, brace yourself for the inevitable shock. Bear on a potentially unsafe surface with your wrist or lower arm, areas far less sensitive than your fingertips.
Unless, of course, you lot want to intentionally shock someone.
Have whatsoever tips on relatively unknown, must-encounter destinations in Arizona? Reach the reporter at scott.craven@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-444-8773. Follow him on Twitter @Scott_Craven2.
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Source: https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/life/2019/11/13/what-causes-static-electricity-how-do-i-get-rid-of-it/4165052002/
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