2023-05-24 20:00:00
How many times have you gotten out of the car and, when touching the bodywork, have you felt an uncomfortable spark? Or have you gone to greet a relative by giving them two kisses and a slight electric current has appeared when you touched them? This phenomenon is popularly known as static electricity and, although it is very common in everyday life, it is still something very uncomfortable to experience.
However, there are certain attitudes that can be taken to reduce the frequency of these curious electrical discharges and even delete them immediately. Thus, we will tell you a little more about this phenomenon, some tricks to avoid “sparks” and the cases in which these downloads can pose a danger.
WHAT IS STATIC ELECTRICITY?
As is known, matter is made up of atoms, which, in turn, are made up of positive charges, protons, in their central part, and negative charges, electrons, in the outermost part. Normally, atoms are in neutral statethat is, the amount of positive charge is equal to the amount of positive charge, and electrons and protons balance each other out.
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However, there may be moments in which this neutrality is lost and different atoms exchange part of their electrons, so that one is left with an excess of negative charge, and the other with a deficit. This process in which electrons move from one atom to another by contact between two materials or objects is known as triboelectricidad and is colloquially equivalent to “electrification by rubbing”.
However, the natural state of atoms is neutral, so they will always try to return to it. How will they do it? Searching come into contact with other bodies with which to discharge, that is, to which to yield or from which to capture electrons. It is precisely this transfer of charge that generates the small electric current that is related to the “spark”.
And although it seems that it is an effect that occurs from time to time, matter is charged and discharged Continuously. What happens is that, normally, that charge would pass through people, reaching the ground and touching ground, returning everything to neutrality and feeling nothing. However, if the person is isolated, such as with rubber-soled shoes or on a carpet, it is not possible for electrons to be exchanged again and that is when the electric shock is noticed.
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HOW TO AVOID STATIC ELECTRICITY
There are certain attitudes that an individual can take to prevent that charge accumulation and reduce the frequency of uncomfortable sparks. Here are some that allow your body to discharge naturally and allow electrons to move without electron deposition.
- Avoid wearing synthetic clothing. Fibers of synthetic origin, such as nylon or polyester, favor the accumulation of electrons due to rubbing against the body, leaving the skin charged. Natural fibers, such as cotton or silk, improve this circulation.
- Use of moisturizing creams. Moisturizing creams soften the skin, which reduces friction between garments and the body, and with it, possible electronic bunching.
- Wear shoes without rubber soles. All those shoes that do not have a rubberized sole will make it easier for your body not to isolate itself from the ground, so the current can easily pass through you and discharge when landing without inflicting any type of damage or discomfort.
- Touch the metal structure of the car. Touching the metal body of the car before getting out of it, while still sitting down, helps to unload your body and prevents you from feeling a spark when you touch it again once outside.
- Humidify the house. One of the best allies for static electricity is a dry environment, so if this phenomenon is common in your home, it may be because the air is very dry and the atmosphere itself isolates people and objects. . Using a humidifier can help put a little more water vapor into the environment and facilitate the natural exchange of electrons.
HOW TO ELIMINATE SPARKS IMMEDIATELY
If the prevention advice comes just in time and you find yourself under the influence of static electricity, don’t worry, there are a series of tricks that can be used to delete it immediately. The easiest to follow is simply wait. And it is that, the static electricity ends up dissipating naturally when the electrons jump into the atmosphere. Now, the humidity of the environment will depend on how quickly they do so.
If you don’t want to wait, the best thing you can do is force the discharge of your body to earth. This is accomplished by touching any conductive material that is not insulated to the ground, such as the external screws of a light switch or a metal pole.
Another quick method is take a shower, because water, as a conductive substance, will balance the number of electrons in your body, eliminating the accumulation or deficit of electrons. If you don’t have the chance to shower, washing your hands several times can be an ally to gradually eliminate excess load.
HAZARDS OF STATIC ELECTRICITY
Although it is not common on a day-to-day basis, there are certain situations in which static electricity can interact with materials that are certainly sensitive to it and be dangerous for some actions. So, first of all, there are certain Electronic components that can be damaged by electrostatic discharges if they are of considerable intensity, especially semiconductor devices.
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Another risk situation occurs in the refueling service stations because, if a high voltage discharge occurs in the presence of fuel, it can even set it on fire, causing a large explosion. It is for this reason that it is advisable to turn off the vehicle’s engine when refueling the car with gasoline.
But not only that. It can also be dangerous in space exploration missions, because during takeoffs a charge can accumulate that affects the aircraft’s electronic devices, impairing their functionality. Furthermore, it must be borne in mind that astronauts, on their trips into space, come into contact with very dry environments that favor the deposition of static electricity and that can cause serious discharges when they enter the spacecraft.
RELATIONSHIP WITH METEOROLOGY
Have you noticed that there is a time of the year when the effects of static electricity are felt more? If you have thought about winter, you are right. And it is that, in the coldest months the air is much less humid than in the summer months. Thus, as water vapor is a great electrical conductor, when the environment is humid, it facilitates the dissipation of any electrical charge accumulated in bodies.
On the contrary, in the colder dayswhere the humidity of the atmosphere is very low, the air hardly contains water vapor, therefore, the electrons have less facility to jump into the atmosphere and, thus, discharge the body of electrical charge.
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