Static electricity is a well-known phenomenon. It affects many industries in diverse environments. Static charge buildup can result in potentially dangerous electrical shocks, which can cause fires, explosions and severe damage to sensitive electronic components. Static charge buildup can be caused by friction between two surfaces. This is called triboelectrification.
Electrons migrate from the surface of one material to the surface of the other.
Upon separation of the two surfaces, one surface loses electrons and becomes positively charged. The other surface gains electrons and becomes negatively charged. As the pressure and the speed of contact and separation increase, the amount of the static charge buildup increases. Rapidly moving materials can quickly develop charges, which produce a potential of more than 25,000 volts. In this lab students will separate electric charges.