Notes
Materials that Cause Static Electricity
Media
What causes electrostatic charge (static electricity) to build up?
Office Space static (0:43)
How to not get a static electricity shock when getting out of a car on a cold day. (0:56)
When Shopping Carts Become Shocking Carts (2:09)
In the 1990’s, you would occasionally see cars with grounding straps to allow static electricity to discharge through the pavement to ground.
When working with sensitive electronics, technicians will often work on an anti-static mat and wear a grounding strap around their wrist to prevent the build-up of static electricity. The strap is connected to ground via a large resistor. The resistor provides safety if the technician touches a high voltage wire, so that there is not a direct path to ground through their body.
Gas Station Static Electricity Fire (1:20)