How to remove static electricity: simple methods, rules of protection

Of course, every person on the planet has at least once succumbed to electric shocks when they touched a door handle, car or other objects. Many people ask themselves the question: “What is this? How does it work? Why is this action happening?” One thing we can say is that this is static electricity, which is important to be aware of. This and many other issues on this topic are discussed in this article.

The nature of static electricity

Their school textbooks know that a discharge can only jump between a positively charged object and a negatively charged one. And in most cases, we ourselves are the carriers of the positive charge. Upon contact with a voluminous metal object or another person (since our body is 80% water, the tissues of the human body are a priori excellent conductors of electricity), a discharge occurs, that is, a phenomenon when your body is discharged, otherwise it is freed from its positive charge. But how to remove static electricity without harmful consequences and discomfort? Let us first examine the background of its occurrence.

Getting electricity

Electricity is the energy produced by electric current. It is clear to everyone that without electrical energy normal life in modern society is impossible. It is used by absolutely all household electrical appliances: refrigerators, washing machines, lighting fixtures, irons, microwave ovens, computers, televisions, etc. It is difficult to imagine how we would live if the lights in the apartment went out or the TV turned off. The use of electrical energy has made it possible to increase labor productivity in all areas of human activity, automate and implement a number of technological processes in industry, transport, agriculture and everyday life, based on new principles that speed up, facilitate and reduce the cost of obtaining the final product, as well as create comfort in industrial and residential premises.

The operation of modern means of communication - telegraph, telephone, radio, television, the Internet - is based on the use of electrical energy. Without it, the development of cybernetics, computer and space technology, etc. would be impossible.

Let's look at the process of generating electricity. At a power plant, a generator produces electrical energy. The generator consists of such main parts as the rotor (moving part) and the stator (fixed part). In order for the rotor to rotate, a steam turbine is needed, which converts steam energy into mechanical energy. What is needed to create steam? Heat water and turn it into steam. This requires energy. Where can you get energy? They use the energy released during the combustion of fuel, for example, coal. Do you think all the energy released during the combustion of coal will be used to generate electrical energy? No, there will be a loss of energy for heating the atmosphere, parts, etc., and will also be converted into mechanical energy of the turbine, rotor, etc.

Electrical energy is generated at power plants, which, depending on the energy carriers used in them, are divided into thermal, nuclear and hydroelectric. About 23% of the world's electricity is generated by hydroelectric power plants. They convert the kinetic energy of falling water into the mechanical energy of turbine rotation, and the turbine rotates an electric machine current generator.

Where does the positive charge in our body come from?

Let us explain it in a language that is accessible and understandable to everyone, even those who are not experienced in physics. Material objects accumulate any charge through friction. Each atom that makes up any material body (including the human one) has electrons rotating around its nucleus. Let's give a simple example.

When we take off our clothes over our heads and throw the blouse on the sofa, a large number of electrons, through friction, seem to be erased from their orbits and transferred to the blouse that we took off. It is well known that electrons are negatively charged particles, and therefore our blouse becomes negatively charged, since in its tissues there is now an excess of electrons from our body, while we ourselves become positively charged, since there is now a shortage of negatively charged particles in the tissues.

If we then decide to touch a metal object or another person, we will feel an electric shock. A microscopic lightning discharge will appear between the fingertips of the hand and the object, during which a discharge will occur in the literal sense of the word. Our body, through this discharge, will absorb the missing amount of electrons from this object, and the energy in it will again become balanced. Plus and minus will be balanced again.

Care instructions

It’s quite simple to take care of the blanket so that it becomes less electrified. To do this you need:

• Periodically shake out any dust from any covers.
• If the blanket is not made of wool, it can safely be machine washed at 30 degrees.
• The coating should be laid out on a table or other horizontal surface and the drying process should be carried out in this form.
• The blanket must “breathe”, so plastic wraps are not suitable for storing bedspreads. It is best to store the blanket in a cardboard box or simply put it on a closet shelf.

How does static electricity accumulate in our body?

But in order for an imbalance of charged particles to occur in your body, you don’t have to take something off yourself. Sitting in a car, we rub against the seat. As we walk, clothing can remove some electrons from our body. Any friction helps to transfer a certain amount of electrons from somewhere to something. And now you have already turned into a charged material body, which, upon contact with any conductor (metal or other fairly massive current-carrying object), will definitely discharge, that is, it will absorb the missing electrons from this object through a spark that jumps between you and this object. But how to remove static electricity from yourself and surrounding objects?

What it is

Electric current is the directed movement of charged elements by an electric field. The charge carriers of metal conductors are electrons, and the charge carriers of acid and salt solutions are ions. Semiconductor charge carriers are called electrons and holes.

Electricity

For the current to exist, the electric field must be constantly maintained. There must be a potential difference that maintains the field itself. Until such conditions are met, charges move in an orderly manner along a closed electrical circuit.

Similar conditions can be created, for example, using an electrophore machine. When 2 disks rotate in opposite directions, they are charged with opposite charges. A potential difference occurs on the brushes that are adjacent to the discs. By connecting the contacts, the particles begin to move in an orderly manner. In such a situation, the machine becomes an electrical source.

What is current

The first and main rule

A sufficiently grounded object will never accumulate static electricity. What does "grounded" mean? This means constant contact with the earth's surface. But in order to “contact the earth’s surface,” the shoes must have conductive soles. At the present time, this is hardly possible, since all modern shoes are made with soles made of synthetic polymers, rubber, rubber, etc.

“But how to remove static electricity from a person in this case?” - you ask. How else can you “ground yourself”? The answer is simple, and it lies in increased air humidity. If the level of air humidity in the room is even slightly higher than usual, the air itself, saturated with moisture, will become an excellent “discharger” for your body. This is why static electricity does not occur when humidity is high, just as it does not occur if you, say, get wet in the rain.

Origin

Electrification of dielectrics by friction can occur when two dissimilar substances come into contact due to differences in atomic and molecular forces (due to differences in the electron work function of the materials). In this case, a redistribution of electrons (in liquids and gases, also ions) occurs with the formation of electric layers with equal signs of electric charges on the contacting surfaces. In fact, atoms and molecules of one substance, which have a stronger attraction, tear off electrons from another substance, creating a vortex movement of the ions of the medium in which they are confined.

The resulting potential difference between the contacting surfaces depends on a number of factors - the dielectric properties of the materials, the value of their mutual pressure upon contact, the humidity and temperature of the surfaces of these bodies, and climatic conditions. With the subsequent separation of these bodies, each of them retains its electric charge, and with an increase in the distance between them due to the work done to separate the charges, the potential difference increases and can reach tens and hundreds of kilovolts.

Electrical discharges can form due to some electrical conductivity of moist air. When air humidity is more than 85%, static electricity practically does not occur.

How to remove static from yourself painlessly?

The spark during discharge is not as painful as it is unpleasant. How to remove static electricity from your body or, more precisely, how to discharge yourself without receiving an unpleasant electric shock? To do this, you need to take any small steel product, such as a nail file, a teaspoon or tweezers, as a result of which the positive potential of your body will spread to them. Next, you should touch the edge of the tweezers to the radiator, car or other massive metal object.

Then the spark will jump not between your fingers and the tweezers, but between the tweezers and the object you touch with them. In this case, you will not experience any negative feelings. You just have to do this over and over again at certain intervals, otherwise sooner or later the charge will accumulate in you again, and you will still receive an electric shock.

Lightning

Main article: Lightning

As a result of the movement of air currents saturated with water vapor, thunderclouds are formed, which are carriers of static electricity. Electrical discharges are formed between differently charged clouds or, more often, between a charged cloud and the ozone layer of the earth, followed by a discharge to the ground. When a critical potential difference is reached, a lightning discharge occurs between the clouds, on the ground or in the near-space layer of the planet. To protect against lightning, lightning rods are installed that conduct the discharge directly into the ground.

In addition to lightning, thunderclouds can cause dangerous electrical potentials on insulated metal objects due to electrostatic induction.

In 1872, it was conquered by an expedition led by a geographer. It was given the name Electric Peak

, since the pioneer conquerors at the top, after the thunderstorm, sparks began to fall from their fingers and hair on their heads.

What clothes are prone to the accumulation of static tension?

Many people wonder how to remove static electricity from clothes. The fact is that clothing itself cannot accumulate either a positive or a negative charge. For it to accumulate, there needs to be friction between the pieces of clothing. And friction occurs when wearing clothes, taking them off, etc.

And in these cases, the charge accumulates not in the clothes themselves, but in your body. Only at the moment of parting with clothes can a spark fly between you and a wardrobe item. This is especially true for clothing made from synthetic fibers. Taking a synthetic sweater over your head, you can see with your own eyes the discharges flickering between its fabric, the fabrics of the clothes remaining on you, your hair and your body. This is especially noticeable when the lights are off. Even the air is filled with the smell of ozone, which occurs only during moments of electrical discharges, and the hairs on your head stand on end as they begin to repel each other.

But the piece of clothing that shocked you goodbye does not completely return to your body all the electrons taken from it, and therefore, after such undressing procedures, you always turn into an object with a “plus” sign, which sooner or later will be discharged to “minus”.

To prevent static charge from accumulating while wearing synthetic clothing, you need to wash it with special conditioners that prevent the wardrobe item from collecting electrons from your body. There are many such conditioners, and they are all sold in any household chemical stores.

Traditional methods

Removing static and eliminating the accumulation of electricity without using chemicals is not a problem.

You can prevent charge accumulation by fulfilling the following conditions:

• Do not wear synthetic clothing. Natural materials do not collect static when rubbing against each other. Polyester in fabric composition is very highly electrified;
• Wear shoes with leather soles. Leather, unlike rubber, always has some moisture and allows accumulated charges to flow to the ground.

Only fabric that can conduct electric current is not electrified, that is, wet or containing a metallized thread - Lurex. All others are capable of accumulating charge to a greater or lesser extent.

The main enemy of static is moisture and metal. So, to rid yourself of unpleasant sensations, you can do the following:

• If the dress becomes electrified and begins to stick to your legs and arms, then before putting it on or tights, apply a moisturizing lotion or cream to your body. Wet skin will prevent the charge from accumulating;
• Run wet hands over clothing. Of course, be aware that some fabrics may stain;
• An ordinary safety pin will help remove static from clothes. Pin it to the inside of the robe. There is no mysticism here, the pin removes the charge and prevents it from accumulating. The main thing is to know how and where to attach it. It's not just about the metal. Keys to a car or apartment, change in pockets are also metal, but they have no effect. The pin on the clothing should ensure contact with the skin or other item of clothing, from friction with which electricity accumulates. A convenient place is the seam on the inside of the collar in the area where the product tag is attached. There it is invisible and there is contact with the neck.
• To get rid of static for a long time, wash clothes with the addition of fabric softener or fabric softener;
• If there is no conditioner, when washing things, add a quarter cup of baking soda or 50 ml of table vinegar. Add vinegar at the end of washing before rinsing;
• In extreme cases, a folk method such as spraying hairspray on the lining of outerwear will help. You need to spray from a distance of at least 30 cm and wait until it dries!

"Evil" car

Very often, a static discharge spark jumps between the car and the motorist (passenger). What should you do if your car constantly shocks you? How to remove static electricity from a car so that every time you get out of the car, it doesn’t “bite” you goodbye?

Here the problem, again, lies in you, that is, in your behavior behind the wheel and in the materials from which the car seat covers or the seat itself are made. When you're behind the wheel, you're still moving, creating friction. A charge accumulates in you, and the rubber mats of the car prevent discharge, and the voltage remains in you the entire time you are in the car, until you, getting out of it, touch part of your body to the metal body of the car. At this moment, discharge occurs. There is little pleasant, and therefore you should stock up on special means for treating car seats. These antistatic agents come in the form of aerosols. By spraying this product on your seat covers, you will prevent them from accumulating a positive charge during friction.

But a car is a thing that can itself accumulate static, especially in dry weather. To prevent this from happening and your car not to shock you in vain, buy a special strip (strap) at an auto parts store, which is attached under the rear bumper and is powered to the body of the car. Current types of antistatic straps are even attached to the exhaust pipe. The tip of such a strip, constantly in contact with the ground, will prevent the accumulation of static in the body.

How to rid yourself of painful electric shocks

If all the measures taken did not bring success or they forgot to do something in a hurry and the clothes are electrocuted, then there are ways to painlessly remove the excess charge:

• Wearing mittens on your hands will reduce or eliminate the pain from the spark. As a last resort, pick up a coin and touch a metal object to relieve tension. On a note! The back of the hand has less sensitivity than the fingertips.

• When getting out of the car, you first need to grab the metal parts of the car body with your hand, and then put your foot on the ground. The accumulated charge will flow painlessly to the ground through the sole of the shoe. When the car is at a gas station, passengers should not be allowed to get out of the car, especially if they are wearing natural fur coats.
• An antistatic agent applied to the upholstery of a car will not harm even allergy sufferers, since there is practically no contact with bare skin. There are special antistatic wipes for car interiors on sale.
• Store clothes in the closet on metal hangers.
• Some people talk about the benefits of cotton insoles in shoes.
• Periodically spray your carpet or rug with fabric softener using a hand-held sprayer. Don't forget to wait for it to dry!
• If there is a dryer in the house and the clothes are dried in it, then three to four minutes before the end of the process you need to reduce the temperature to the minimum value and put a damp cloth inside the machine. Humidified air inside will prevent the formation of static electricity.
• Use a humidifier in your apartment. This is important during the heating season. At this time, air humidity is greatly reduced due to central heating.

"Evil" computer

The computer itself will not be able to accumulate a static discharge, since its entire body is powered to ground, that is, to minus from the outlet. Therefore, the question of how to remove static electricity from a computer does not make sense in itself. Static electricity, if any household appliance plugged into an outlet shocks you, should be removed not from it, but from you. This is done using the methods described above.

History of the study of the phenomenon

Oh, what spectacular and fascinating experiences these were!
How delightfully the ladies screamed and turned pale when the learned demonstrators, filled with importance, extracted long bluish-violet sparks from the discharged gentlemen, when by simply raising their hands they ignited alcohol and handfuls of gunpowder, when several dozen gentlemen, holding hands, received a stunning blow, costing only two extreme touch an apparently harmless glass jar... All these amazing effects were caused by ridiculously simple means: a glass rod rubbed with dry fur, rotating glass balls and cylinders rubbing against the palms of a person isolated from the floor. The general enthusiasm for electricity from friction in the second half of the 18th century can only be compared with the enthusiasm caused a hundred years earlier by the discovery of atmospheric pressure.

According to the definition, static electricity as an effect is a dangerous phenomenon that threatens the health and practical activities of any person. To comprehend and understand its nature, we should remember that all known substances consist of molecules, and the latter are made of tiny particles called atoms. At their center is a nucleus with protons and neutrons, and groups of electrons rotate around it in different orbits. The total charge of these particles corresponds to the same indicator for protons, so the atom as a whole is neutral.

Even the most sober scientists succumbed to the general intoxication. Just as they once tried to reduce everything to the action of atmospheric pressure, so now they have managed to see the manifestation of electricity in the rotation of the planets around the Sun, and in the occurrence of earthquakes, and in the course of many diseases. It is no coincidence that the years 1750–1780 went down in the history of physics as the “period of electricity from friction.”

Atom image

The end of this period was marked by “the creation of a device that is similar in its actions to a Leyden jar... but which, however, operates continuously, that is, its charge is restored by itself after each discharge.” This is how in 1799 A. Volta described his electric battery - a great invention that dramatically changed the entire course of electrical research.

The voltaic column, which made it possible to obtain relatively large currents at low voltages, focused the attention of scientists on the magnetic, mechanical and thermal effects of electric current, which by the end of the 19th century already formed the basis of all electrical engineering. But only in the 20th century did interest in the once abandoned “electricity from friction” begin to revive

And the reason for this revival was an important invention made at the turn of the century - the corona discharge...

"Evil" phone

Many phone models have metal parts in their casing, contact with which can also cause a small spark to jump between the gadget and you. The question of how to remove static electricity from a phone has the same explanation, namely, the “plus” accumulates in you, and not in the gadget. Get rid of the accumulated positive charge in your body, and the phone will not “snarl” at you.

Influence

The most striking manifestation of static electricity can be found in industrial production. Due to his fault, unexpected ignitions of flammable materials occur due to sparks generated when the operator comes into contact with grounded equipment. Electrostatic energy can carry a discharge of 1.4 joules, which is enough to ignite flammable substances.

Interesting! To prevent such situations, GOST was developed, according to which the accumulated energy from a static charge cannot exceed 40% of the required energy for ignition of substances or materials.

The effect of static electricity affects the hair

Humans are carriers of particles that accumulate on clothing. In this case, the main condition for the accumulation of charge is the presence of shoes with soles that do not allow electricity to leave the body.

A person feels static on himself in the form of prolonged tension or as a momentary discharge. In the first case, there is a slight tension over a long period of time, and in the second there is a short-term release, felt as a tingling sensation. Rarely does the discharge power exceed 7 joules, so electricity does not pose a direct danger, but there is an indirect effect. It manifests itself in the form of muscle contraction, which can cause work-related injuries.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with How to integrate a dishwasher into a finished kitchen: options and work order

Attention! After muscle contraction, body parts can involuntarily get caught in working and moving mechanisms

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