▎ WuXi AppTec content team editor
In the cold and dry winter, you will always see some people:
They took off their sweaters in the darkness of the night, and suddenly flashed an electric flint-like spectacle on their bodies;
They raised their long skirts in the cold wind, but the skirt outlined an indescribable shape on the stockings;
They frequently use the "shadowless hand" like a shrunken hand reflex, as if they are impacted by a mysterious force of "no one is close to";
They reverently fumbled for the pulse of the wall, or trembled and pulled out an unknown column-like metal object, colliding with the doorknob to create a ritualistic code...
Then, there was a wail —
"Ah! Static electricity again!! ”
You, who have static electricity all over your body, are a "capacitor"
Winter static electricity is very naughty, once hit by its magic, everyone can become Pikachu, wherever they go, the electricity will be put wherever they go.
Image source: wellcomecollection.org, Licence:
Public Domain Mark
Yes, the reason why we are "hit" by static electricity is essentially the process of body discharge.
Friends who have studied physics know the principle of "friction and electricity".
During this friction relief process, electrons move from one surface to another.
In this way, the object that loses the electron is positively charged, and the other object that gets the electron is negatively charged.
If the surface of the object is insulated, it is easy for more static electricity to gather on it, and it is difficult to release it.
For example, you wear a cardigan with excellent insulation and skateboard shoes (rubber soles), rubbing on the wool carpet ~ rubbing ~ like the devil's steps;
Or sit in a car, push a trolley to shop, work out on a treadmill... These processes are equivalent to "recharging" yourself, and your body becomes a "capacitor".
Image credit: 123RF
And you with static electricity all over your body, once you come into contact with a conductor whose potential is lower than your own (such as a metal with zero potential such as a door handle), due to the potential difference, the charge will be transmitted out in a large amount in a short period of time, generating a large instantaneous current that stabs your skin without warning.
Although this current does not cause harm to health, it is still inexplicable to be "stabbed" for a long time.
How can I not be "electrified"?
In order to eliminate the "static magic", many people have summarized some "life tricks", such as the "ritualistic" actions at the beginning.
Which methods are reliable?
As we said earlier, the better the surface insulation of the object, the easier it is for static electricity to accumulate and not be released.
Therefore, if you want to reduce static electricity, on the one hand, you want to reduce the insulation of the surface of the body; on the other hand, you want to let the electricity go out through other ways.
1. Wear clothing with poor insulation
The insulation of the following fabrics is relatively poor, although static electricity cannot be completely avoided, but some charges can be put out to reduce the accumulation of static electricity.
Clothes: Choose cotton, linen, silk fabric clothes, rather than wool and chemical fiber (chemical fiber is similar to plastic, is a polymer material with good insulation).
Sole: Choose leather sole shoes instead of rubber sole shoes;
Socks: Choose cotton socks instead of wool socks (or wear cotton socks on the outside of wool socks).
2. Increase humidity
Water is a good conductor. With the increase of environmental humidity, the moisture in the air will also increase, and human skin is not easy to dry.
Even if the conductivity of clothes, shoes, etc. is not good, after absorbing water, a thin film of water is formed on the surface, which can also help us release the charge.
Therefore, static electricity is always common in dry winters, and in the spring and summer when the air humidity is large, there are few static electricity problems.
To increase humidity, on the one hand, do a good job of moisturizing the skin, such as applying moisturizer to the legs before wearing stocking leggings (review the solution to poke the skin dry in winter).
On the other hand, you can hydrate the body with a humidifier and a spray.
Especially for people who drive, when they get out of the car and close the door and touch the door handle, it is easy to be electrified. It is very practical to put a small car humidifier.
3. Find a discharge "shield"
For example, as mentioned earlier, keep the key in your pocket (remember to put it on yourself so that it is equal to your body potential).
Pull it out before opening the door, hold the key tightly with your hand, and touch the doorknob so that its tip is "shocked" in place of your hand.
Or more simply, wrap the handle around a condom and pull the door handle to open the door.
4. Grounding method
Or the physics textbook said that "ground wire can prevent electric shock".
Because the earth is originally zero potential, when the human body and the infinitely large object of the earth come into contact, it can take away a lot of charges, and finally the potential of the human body tends to zero.
Therefore, it is okay to touch the ground before opening the door.
In addition, in some industrial production environments where static electricity cannot be used, the staff may also wear a special anti-static bracelet with a grounded wire on it, which can release the charge on the body into the earth.
5. Less reliable methods
The method of "touching the wall discharge" is also for grounding, but the actual effect may not be so good, because the conductivity of the wall may not be very good, it is better to touch the ground directly.
It is also said that "putting a dry battery in your pocket and holding the positive and negative poles of the dry battery with both hands can discharge"
But this can only make your body form a closed circuit at best, and the charge still flows internally (there is no electric shock, the ordinary dry battery is only 1.5 volts, far lower than the safe voltage of the human body of 36 volts), and does not play the effect of "putting electricity out".