What is an example of static electricity in everyday life?

An example of static electricity in everyday life is the shock you feel when touching a metal doorknob.

Static electricity occurs when there is an imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material. This imbalance can build up through various means, such as friction. For instance, when you walk across a carpet, electrons are transferred from the carpet to your shoes, causing you to become negatively charged. The carpet, having lost electrons, becomes positively charged. This separation of charges creates static electricity.

When you then touch a metal doorknob, which is a good conductor, the excess electrons on your body quickly move to the doorknob to neutralise the charge difference. This rapid movement of electrons is what causes the small shock you feel. The shock is essentially a mini electric discharge, similar to a tiny lightning bolt, but on a much smaller and less dangerous scale.

Another common example is when you rub a balloon against your hair. The friction between the balloon and your hair causes electrons to transfer from your hair to the balloon, making the balloon negatively charged and your hair positively charged. As a result, your hair stands on end and is attracted to the balloon due to the opposite charges.

Static electricity is also the reason why clothes sometimes stick together when they come out of the dryer. The tumbling action in the dryer causes friction between the clothes, leading to a build-up of static charge. This causes the clothes to cling to each other because opposite charges attract.

Understanding static electricity helps us to explain these everyday phenomena and also has practical applications, such as in photocopiers and air purifiers, where static charges are used to attract and capture particles.