• Question: Why is it when you touch someone you sometimes get electrocuted?

    Asked by nessy123 to Adam, Joanna on 23 Nov 2012.
    • Photo: Adam Paige

      Adam Paige answered on 23 Nov 2012:


      Our atoms are made of negative electrons and positive protons. Sometimes things we wear and carpets we walk on cause these charges to get moved around a bit, creating an area with negative charge and another with positive charge. When you bring these areas close together the electrons can “leap” across to balance the charges in the two areas. This is the electrostatic shock that you feel sometimes.

    • Photo: Joanna Giles

      Joanna Giles answered on 23 Nov 2012:


      Ha! I get this all the time! The horrible static shock as Adam describes 🙂

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