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

According to Sobarzo’s and colleagues, this problem has been confounded by the diverse array of variables associated with a material’s contact electrification. These include its electronic properties, ...

The work could be a step toward understanding the effects behind the phenomenon of static electricity, in which electric charge accumulates on materials after they are rubbed or touched together.

Static electricity affects everyday life in familiar ways—the shock from touching a doorknob, a balloon sticking to a child’s ...