- #1
versine
- 24
- 5
Why does rubbing two objects together produce a different result than having them contact?
I think there are to things at work here. Firstly, transferring charge requires Work to be done. In this case, it's actual mechanical work. Bringing two objects together involves less work than rubbing them together. Also, two objects, even described as flat are not actually flat; there will be very few touching points on a microscopic scale. Just bringing them together will, perhaps cause some small amount of charge transfer across those small areas. Rubbing will increase the total contact area over time and physical distortion (= work) of the surfaces will also cause charge transfer.versine said:Why does rubbing two objects together produce a different result than having them contact?
Triboelectric charging is a type of charging that occurs when two objects come into contact and then separate. This process creates a transfer of electrons between the two objects, resulting in one object becoming positively charged and the other becoming negatively charged.
Charging by conduction involves the direct transfer of electrons between two objects that are in contact with each other. In contrast, triboelectric charging involves the transfer of electrons through contact and separation of two objects.
In general, charging by conduction is considered to be more efficient than triboelectric charging. This is because in triboelectric charging, some of the transferred electrons may be lost to the surrounding environment, whereas in charging by conduction, the electrons are directly transferred between the two objects.
Some common examples of triboelectric charging include rubbing a balloon on hair, rubbing a glass rod with a silk cloth, and shuffling your feet on a carpet and then touching a metal object.
Triboelectric charging is used in many everyday devices, such as printers, photocopiers, and air purifiers. It is also used in industrial processes, such as removing dust from surfaces and separating materials based on their electrical charge.