Thales of Miletus (considered to be the first scientist in the Western world) pondered on the cause of static electricity, and the electric prowess of eels inspired Alessandro Volta to invent the ...

Their method uses the principle that when two materials come into contact, charged entities on their surfaces get a little nudge, like how rubbing a balloon on the skin creates static electricity.

Have you ever stepped out of your car and gone to close the door, only to have a sharp and painful zap of static electricity shoot through your fingers? We have. It seems to happen all the time.

Static electricity—specifically the triboelectric effect, aka contact electrification—is ubiquitous in our daily lives, found in such things as a balloon rubbed against one's hair or styrofoam ...

As the city transitions from winter to summer, static electricity shocks are becoming a common complaint. Medical experts explain that the culprit is dry air. Humidity levels drop significantly ...

This leaves us wondering: does the smoothed bazin experience more or less static cling than other fabrics do?

By placing these beads close together and bringing them into contact, they generate more electricity than ... For centuries, static electricity has been the subject of intrigue and scientific ...

Door handles, taps, playground slides, furry pets… Getting zapped by static electricity is a common experience. But the physics that causes the spark is surprisingly intricate. If you're getting ...

Now, scientists have developed an ingenious way to recycle polystyrene – by converting its static electricity into usable power. The invention comes from researchers at Australia's RMIT ...

If you've ever had a packing peanut stick to your clothes as you unbox your Amazon delivery, then you know that Styrofoam is pretty good at generating static electricity. A new invention turns ...

After more than 2,000 years of mystery, science may have finally uncovered the secrets of static electricity. Friction seems to be at the heart of the phenomenon, but how exactly does it work? The ...

Objects that are charged can affect other charged objects using the non-contact forces of static electricity ... designed to help you tackle your GCSE in physics and combined science.