Static cling

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/static-cling

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the fundamental mechanism?Triboelectric effect leading to charge separation
2. What is the historical naming?Derived from the Greek word 'elektron' for amber
3. What makes my clothes stick together after laundry?When fabrics rub against each other, electrons move from one to the other. This gives one piece a positive charge and the other a negative charge, and opposite charges attract, so the clothes cling.
4. Why does dust jump onto my toys when I touch them?Dust particles are attracted to surfaces that have built up a static charge. The charged surface pulls the tiny dust particles toward it, making them stick.

Triboelectric Series: A ranking of materials based on their tendency to gain or lose electrons during friction.
Coulomb's Law: Describes the electrostatic force of attraction or repulsion between two charged particles.
Dielectric Material: An electrical insulator that can be polarized by an applied electric field, often involved in static cling.