Monday, February 2, 2009

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.

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