The Spark

 You must be highly charged cause I feel a spark between us.

Static Electricity

Everything in the world is made up of molecules that have a positive or negative charge. Usually, objects are not charged making them neutral, meaning that there is a balance between their positive and negative charges. Static electricity is the due to an imbalance between those positive and negative charges.

  

man rubbing balloon on hair
        

Building Up Charges 

These charges can start to build up when two objects rub up against each other. This is because there is a transfer of electrons between the two objects. One object is becoming more positively charged as it loses electrons while the other object is becoming more negatively charged as it gains electrons.





The Electricity Between Us is Shocking

The charges continue to accumulate until they can be discharged in a circuit. The circuit can be completed when the object that is charged makes contact with a conductor that grounds it. Some good conductors include various metals like copper and aluminum, as well as the human body!



Banach Adventures, 2020; Static Electricity on Slow-Mo Video