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 ...

There is nothing more frustrating than finding a sock stuck to your pants leg thanks to static cling. Or the fear of "sparks" ...

Although static electricity can be quite the nuisance, it's not common to hear about what actually causes the annoying shock. Each year on Jan. 9, the United States recognizes National Static ...

Static electricity is the buildup of an electrical charge on the surface of an object. Lightning is the most dramatic and potentially lethal example of static discharge. A far more benign illustration ...

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 ...

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, ...

WASHINGTON — Your skin is dry, lips are chapped and you are constantly being shocked when you open doors, touch your dog or go in for a kiss from your partner. But why? These are all impacts from cold ...

Someone complained about a teacher using this question and the answer was disputed. After some time, the teacher claimed that the answer was that lightning is static electricity because she looked it ...

Your clothes cling to your limbs, your hair stands on end, and every doorknob greets your hand with a zap. Just what is static anyway, and why is it all up in your business this time of year?

Static electricity is an imbalance in the amount of positive and negative charges found with in the surface of an object. The sudden flow of static electricity or Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can ...

In nature we can see some incredible things, including watching lightning strike across the sky! Lightning starts in clouds. Within these clouds there are positive and negative charges that usually ...

Sebastian Deffner is affiliated with the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). Static electricity is a ubiquitous part of everyday life. It’s all around us, ...