According to Dictionary.com, the word 'static' can be either an adjective or a noun and can have the following definitions:
Adjective:
• Pertaining to or characterized by having a fixed or stationary condition
• Showing little or no change (for instance, a static concept or a static relationship)
• Lacking movement, development or vitality
Noun:
• Electricity: The build-up of electric charge on the surface of objects.
Talking in terms of electricity, a static charge occurs when positive and negative charges separate. When two materials are in contact, electrons can move from one material to the other, leaving an excess of positive charge on one material and an equal negative charge on the other. This charge imbalance is then retained even when the two materials are separated. The static charge on an object will then remain until the charges either bleed off to ground or they are neutralized by a discharge.
Although charge exchange can happen when any two surfaces come into contact with each other, a separate static charge will only remain when at least one of the surfaces involved has a high amount of resistance to electrical flow (meaning that it is an electrical insulator).
In humans, the phenomenon of static charge can cause the sensation of a 'static shock'. The effects of static electricity will be well known to the majority of people because we are able to feel, hear and sometimes even see the spark that occurs when the excess charge becomes neutralized. The phenomenon of the static shock is caused by the neutralization of the static charge.
Static electricity has a number of practical applications, including use in air filters, automotive paints, photocopiers, printers, aircraft refueling and xerography.
Adjective:
• Pertaining to or characterized by having a fixed or stationary condition
• Showing little or no change (for instance, a static concept or a static relationship)
• Lacking movement, development or vitality
Noun:
• Electricity: The build-up of electric charge on the surface of objects.
Talking in terms of electricity, a static charge occurs when positive and negative charges separate. When two materials are in contact, electrons can move from one material to the other, leaving an excess of positive charge on one material and an equal negative charge on the other. This charge imbalance is then retained even when the two materials are separated. The static charge on an object will then remain until the charges either bleed off to ground or they are neutralized by a discharge.
Although charge exchange can happen when any two surfaces come into contact with each other, a separate static charge will only remain when at least one of the surfaces involved has a high amount of resistance to electrical flow (meaning that it is an electrical insulator).
In humans, the phenomenon of static charge can cause the sensation of a 'static shock'. The effects of static electricity will be well known to the majority of people because we are able to feel, hear and sometimes even see the spark that occurs when the excess charge becomes neutralized. The phenomenon of the static shock is caused by the neutralization of the static charge.
Static electricity has a number of practical applications, including use in air filters, automotive paints, photocopiers, printers, aircraft refueling and xerography.