When microscopic particles of sand, ash, or dust collide in the air, they often exchange a tiny electrical charge. This tiny spark of static electricity can sometimes drive massive natural phenomena, ...

Rub two identical pieces of glass together and something strange happens. One picks up a positive charge. The other goes negative. This much has been known for centuries. What nobody could explain was ...

We’re all familiar with static electricity and its many “appearances.” It can be an annoying spark when you walk across a rug; allow you to stick a balloon against a wall after rubbing it across your ...

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 ...

If you rub two identical balloons together, they both pick up a static charge. This behavior is strange and unexpected, but it’s been documented in the scientific literature. When our host George ...

Static electricity often just seems like an everyday annoyance when a wool sweater crackles as you pull it off, or when a doorknob delivers an unexpected zap. Regardless, the phenomenon is much more ...

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, ...