How Does Static electricity | Physics | Khan Academy Work?

Static electricity is when things rub together and cause a little spark or shock.

Imagine you're wearing a sweater made of wool, and it's really dry inside, like on a chilly winter day. When you take off the sweater, your hair stands up, and sometimes you even get a tiny shock when you touch something like a door knob. That’s static electricity at work!

Think of static electricity like a balloon that's been rubbed on your head. The balloon sticks to your hair because it’s trying to be friends with the same kind of stuff, but in a way that makes everything stand up straight. When you rub the balloon on your head, it takes some tiny invisible bits called electric charges from your hair. That's like giving your hair a little push.

Now imagine you're walking across a carpet in socks, and then you touch something metal like a doorknob. You feel that zing or shock. That’s because the electric charges have been building up on your body, and when they suddenly move to the doorknob, it creates a little spark, just like lightning, but much smaller!