Static electricity occurs when there is build up of electrical charge on the surface of a material. It is called static electricity because the charges don't move. The atom is made of 3 sorts of particles: The electron, the proton and the neutron. The protons and neutrons sit together in a lump in the middle called the nucleus. The electrons orbit around the nucleus a bit like the planets the sun. The electron is negatively charged. The proton is positively charged and the neutron has no charge, it is neutral. Most things have the same number of electrons and protons in them- they don't have any overall charge. If something has too many or too few electrons, it has a charge-too many electrons+ negative charge. Too few electrons= positive charge. Opposites attract, likes repel.

Static electricity is caused when certain materials are rubbed against each other. Friction causes electrons to be rubbed off one material an onto another. The material that has got extra electrons is now negatively charged. Th material which has lost electrons is positively charged.

	Created by Sarita Saha almost 8 years ago

Year 8 KS3 Physics: Mains Electricity