Which term refers to electrical charge that builds up on an insulating surface due to friction?

Which term refers to electrical charge that builds up on an insulating surface due to friction?

• A. Static Electricity
• B. Voltage
• C. Current
• D. Capacitance

Answer: (A)

Static electricity is the buildup of electrical charge on an insulating surface that results from friction or rubbing two materials together. When this happens, electrons are transferred from one material to the other, leaving one with excess electrons (negative charge) and the other with a deficit (positive charge). Insulators don’t let charges flow away easily, so the charge remains localized and can cause objects to attract or repel, or to discharge suddenly as a spark. This concept is different from voltage, which is the electric potential difference between two points; current, which is the actual flow of charges; and capacitance, which describes how much charge a device can store per volt. A common example is rubbing a balloon on hair—the balloon becomes statically charged and can stick to walls or hair due to that buildup.

Static electricity is the buildup of electrical charge on an insulating surface that results from friction or rubbing two materials together. When this happens, electrons are transferred from one material to the other, leaving one with excess electrons (negative charge) and the other with a deficit (positive charge). Insulators don’t let charges flow away easily, so the charge remains localized and can cause objects to attract or repel, or to discharge suddenly as a spark. This concept is different from voltage, which is the electric potential difference between two points; current, which is the actual flow of charges; and capacitance, which describes how much charge a device can store per volt. A common example is rubbing a balloon on hair—the balloon becomes statically charged and can stick to walls or hair due to that buildup.