Electrostatics

Electrostatics (also known as static electricity) is the branch of physics that deals with apparently stationary electric charges.    

Electrostatics involves the buildup of charge on the surface of objects due to contact with other surfaces.  

Although charge exchange happens whenever any two surfaces contact and separate, the effects of charge exchange are usually only noticed when at least one of the surfaces has a high resistance to electrical flow.  This is because the charges that transfer to or from the highly resistive surface are more or less trapped there for a long enough time for their effects to be observed.   

These charges then remain on the object until they either bleed off to the ground or are quickly neutralized by a discharge: e.g., the familiar phenomenon of a static 'shock' is caused by the neutralization of charge built up in the body from contact with non-conductive surfaces. 

 Examples 
 The attraction of plastic wrap to ones hand when one has removed it from a package.
 Spontaneous explosion of grain silos.
 Damage of electronic components during manufacturing or the operation of photocopiers.

Related pages 
Electromagnetism
Ionic bond
Lightning
Luigi Galvani

References

Other websites and further reading
General
RMCybernetics: High Voltage Physics . Homemade projects & experiments.
"Man's static jacket sparks alert". BBC News, 16 September 2005.

"Can shocks from static electricity damage your health? ". Wolfson Electrostatics News pages.
"Can Gravity be an Electrostatic Force? " A Quantum theory of Gravitation, 2005.
 invisible wall of static

Essays and books
William J. Beaty, "Humans and sparks; The Cause, Stopping the Pain, and 'Electric People". 1997. 
William Cecil Dampier, "The theory of experimental electricity". Cambridge [Eng.] University press, 1905 (Cambridge physical series). xi, 334 p. illus., diagrs. 23 cm. LCCN 05040419 //r33

Category:Electricity