Static Cling

Have you ever pulled clothes out of the dryer and they were stuck together? That is static cling. When certain materials rub together, tiny electrons move from one surface to the other. This gives the materials an electric charge. Oppositely charged objects stick together, creating static cling.

How Static Charge Builds Up

Everything is made of atoms with positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons. When two materials rub together in the dryer, electrons transfer from one to the other. One item becomes positively charged and the other becomes negatively charged. Opposite charges attract, so the items cling together.

Reducing Static Cling

Dryer sheets help reduce static cling. They coat clothes with a thin layer of chemicals that prevents electron transfer. Humid air also reduces static because water in the air helps electrons flow away. That is why static cling is worse in winter when the air is dry. Touching a metal object can discharge the static.

Fun Facts

• Rubbing a balloon on your hair transfers electrons and makes the balloon stick to a wall.
• Static electricity is stronger in dry weather because there is less moisture in the air to carry charges away.
• Lightning is a giant form of static discharge between clouds and the ground.

Did You Know?

When you walk across a carpet in socks and then touch a metal doorknob, you can feel a small shock. Your feet picked up extra electrons from the carpet, and when you touched the metal, all those electrons jumped at once!