Static Electricity: Uses and Dangers

It is important that you can describe and explain how static electricity is used, or avoided, in some real-life situations.

A good way to recall example uses and dangers is to start from what they have in common;

• The uses all exploit electrostatic forces, which may either attract or repel objects.
• The dangers all involve sparks.

I have created an illustration that provides more details but for this to be useful as part of your own learning you must read it while constantly looking for links between the different examples. In an ideal world, you would create your own illustration – not by copying my version but by trying to find your own links between the various examples.

If you want to use my illustration then you should try adding more detail to it, either by expanding the information that is already there or by adding another example, such as photocopiers.

You should also add a comment to remind yourself that static electricity is always caused by the movement of negative electrons. If the charge that accumulates is positive, that simply means the object has lost negatively charged electrons.

ONLY electrons can move!

To view and download the Uses and Dangers illustration, click here.