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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

In 600 BCE, Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus noticed that when he rubbed fur on amber, the fur attracted dust. That tiny charge generated came to be known as static electricity. You might know it ...

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, ...

Who hasn't felt that sharp zap when stepping out of a car? The good news is that there are things you can do to prevent these ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

If frigid temps weren't cruel enough, winter also marks static electricity season in much of the United States as Americans pad about their homes in fear that anything — a door knob, a light switch, a ...

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 zaps when you climb out of a car are more than a minor annoyance; they are a tiny physics lesson delivered straight to ...