MINNEAPOLIS — When someone touches something and gets shocked, it's awkward and a bit painful. What causes static electricity? And what actually happens when you get shocked? Visitors of the ...

Researchers found a way to harness the fundamental properties of triboelectrification, which most people think of it as ...

Scientists at Northwestern University may have figured out why walking on carpet in your socks, petting your furry friend, or rubbing a balloon on your hair creates static electricity. In a new study, ...

We've all tussled with a skirt that wouldn't stop wrapping around our backside and legs (revealing every bump and bulge!) or a shirt that delivers the shock of one's life or even that hat that makes ...

Jan. 9 is National Static Electricity Day. All things in the universe are made up of atoms. These atoms have a positive charge in their center, or nucleus, and negative charged particles, called ...

Static electricity was first observed in 600 B.C., but researchers have struggled to explain how rubbing causes it. In 2019, researchers discovered nanosized surface deformations at play. The same ...

As humans we often think we have a pretty good handle on the basics of the way the world works, from an intuition about gravity good enough to let us walk around, play baseball, and land spacecraft on ...

Engineers are well informed about the need for appropriate HVAC systems in rooms that contain IT servers for mission critical facilities. The consequences of interruption of information transfer in ...

Winter brings drier air inside and outside our homes, even in typically humid Southern areas. With less humidity comes static electricity and clothes that cling to your body. You may think the ...

Fabric softener coats fibers, making them less absorbent and breathable. Discover alternative options to use in the winter to minimize static cling.

Have you ever rubbed a balloon on your hair and watched it stick to the wall? That’s static electricity in action! Let’s see how you can make tiny pieces of tissue dance using just a balloon and some ...