Read It! Read Zap! and learn shocking information about static electricity. When finished, touch =CONTINUE=>.

Zap!
Have you ever gotten zapped when someone touched your hand? Have you ever walked across the carpet and touched someone’s hand and seen a spark? Or felt a shock? Have you ever taken off your winter hat and your hair stood up? This is called static electricity!

Everything is made up of little parts called atoms. Atoms are made up of smaller parts. They are called protons, electrons, and neutrons. All these parts are very different from each other. Protons have a positive charge. Electrons have a negative charge. Neutrons have no charge.

Most of the time, atoms have the same number of electrons and protons. When this happens the atoms have no charge. When things get rubbed together some of the electrons move from one atom to another. Now some atoms have extra electrons. They have a negative charge. Other atoms lose some electrons. They have a positive charge. This is called static electricity. If two atoms have the same charge, they push away from each other. They repel. If two atoms have a different charge, they pull toward each other. They attract.

So, why does your hair float after you take off your hat? When you take your hat off, it rubs on your hair. Electrons move from your hat to your hair. Now each of your hairs have the same positive charge. Things with the same charge try to move away from each other. They repel. The only way they can get away from each other is to stand up from your head!

When you walk across the carpet, electrons move from the carpet to you. Now you have extra electrons. When you touch someone, you get a ZAP! The electrons move from you to the other person. That is why you get a shock!

=CONTINUE=>