Variable resistors

this weekend i saw 2 instances of variable resistors in the world. a variable resistor is a strip of metal connected to a circuit. This piece of metal can change the overall resistance of the circuit by having its length changed. This change in length determines the amperage of the circuit and thus the ending result. one place i saw this resistor was in my kitchen where we have a dimmer switch. This switch dims the lights by lengthining the resistor. Also another application of variable resistors i saw put to use was in my car. When turning up the volume on my stereo i noticed that the volume switch was also a variable resistor. by turning the nob clockwise i shorten the resistor, thus increasing the output of the circuit. this leads to more charge reaching the speaker, directly resulting in louder sound.

Static Electricity

This Super Bowl weekend was quite hectic and probably had some of the best weather in a while. As a result i decided to wash and wax my car. I applied the wax in a circular motion to the newly washed car. As i rubbed the sponge applicator on the metal surface of the car i noticed an electric field forming around the recently waxed area. i knew that this field existed because i felt the hairs on my arm tingle and attract to the surface of the car. Apparently, the wax used to detail the car is a good insulator and thus holds a charge in a single place rather well. This is because on an insulator, the electrons cannot move aroun very well and thus stay concentrated. The wax on the car demonstrated this property and it became charged by my actions of applying it to the car. By rubbing the wax onto the metal body of the car i removed electrons from the car body and onto the wax. Therefore the wax held the charge and through induction attracted my arm haors which hyappened to be within its electric field.