Sally puts on wool socks and rubs her feet on a nylon carpet. How does static electricity build up in sally
When Sally puts on wool socks, her feet become negatively charged as a result of the triboelectric effect. The triboelectric effect occurs due to the transfer of electrons between two different materials that are in contact and then separated. In this case, the rubbing of wool socks against her feet causes the transfer of electrons from her feet to the wool socks, leaving her feet negatively charged.
As Sally moves her feet on the nylon carpet, the negatively charged wool socks repel the negatively charged electrons in the carpet fibers. This repulsion causes some of the electrons in the carpet to be pushed away or redistributed, creating an imbalance of charges on the surface of the carpet. The areas that have lost electrons become positively charged, while the areas that have gained extra electrons become negatively charged.
This separation of charges, with Sally's negatively charged feet and the positively charged nylon carpet, leads to the buildup of static electricity. The static electricity continues to accumulate as Sally moves, rubs, or generates more friction between her feet and the carpet, causing further electron transfer and charge separation.
In summary, rubbing wool socks against Sally's feet leads to the accumulation of negative charge on her feet. When she rubs her feet on the nylon carpet, the charges become imbalanced, resulting in the buildup of static electricity.