Science Common Sense

241 - What is static electricity?

Static electricity is a kind of electricity that builds up when two things rub against each other. When this happens, tiny particles called electrons are transferred from one thing to another. This makes one thing have too many electrons (negative charge) and the other thing have too few electrons (positive charge).

Imagine when you rub a balloon against your hair. The balloon gets a lot of extra electrons, making it have a negative charge. Now the balloon can stick to things like your wall or a piece of paper because they have a positive charge.

This is why sometimes you get a shock when you touch something or someone after rubbing a balloon against your hair. It's like a little burst of electricity.