For centuries, static electricity has been the subject of intrigue and scientific investigation. Now, researchers from the ...

If you've ever had a packing peanut stick to your clothes as you unbox your Amazon delivery, then you know that Styrofoam is pretty good at generating static electricity. A new invention turns that ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. When hair picks up an electrostatic charge, the strands repel each other and stand on end. (Whitney Hayward/Portland Press ...

Static electricity—specifically the triboelectric effect, aka contact electrification—is ubiquitous in our daily lives, found in such things as a balloon rubbed against one’s hair or styrofoam packing ...

Rub a balloon on your hair and the balloon typically picks up a negative electric charge, while your hair goes positive. But a new study shows that the charge an object picks up can depend on its ...

Researchers at RMIT University have discovered a way to create electricity from Styrofoam. Traditionally considered a major pollutant, Styrofoam is also apparently a surprising source of renewable ...

Static electricity is so commonplace that it can come across as simple. Rub a balloon against your head, and the transfer of charges will make your hair stand on end. Shuffle your feet on a carpet, ...

Static electricity is so commonplace that it can come across as simple. Rub a balloon against your head, and the transfer of charges will make your hair stand on end. Shuffle your feet on a carpet, ...

DENVER — Static electricity is a touchy subject. Touch or rub two materials together, and they can exchange electric charge. But the details behind the phenomenon of static electricity are poorly ...

We’re all familiar with static electricity and its many “appearances.” It can be an annoying spark when you walk across a rug; allow you to stick a balloon against a wall after rubbing it across your ...

Static electricity shocks are more common in the winter because of the season's dry air. Friction between materials, like socks on carpet, builds up a static charge in low humidity. Using a humidifier ...

Door handles, taps, playground slides, furry pets… Getting zapped by static electricity is a common experience. But the physics that causes the spark is surprisingly intricate. If you’re getting ...