We finally have an answer: The beginning and the end of the sliding motion that produces static electricity experience different forces β resulting in a charge differential between the front and the back that results in the crackle of static electricity.
βFor the first time, we are able to explain a mystery that nobody could before: why rubbing matters,β
sigh The jokes write themselves. He had to know, when he said that.
Iβll read the article in a moment. Right now I am here to acknowledge the adorableness of the thumbnail.
So the generic βparticles just rubsβ in the texbooks were lies and they didnβt know shit?
We knew enough to make it extremely useful, but didnβt have a full understanding of the underlying mechanics.
Hate to break it to you, but that is how knowledge works. Even things we have an extremely detailed understanding of are likely to have underlying mechanisms we are not aware of.
You broke nothing, it just annoys me that if you donβt hit university they refuse to teach you the unconfortable truth on plenty of things and you come out of school with a biased idea that everything has been explained already (history, math, physicsβ¦).
Maybe you just went to bad schools?
My experience with science and other teachers of every grade was that they stressed how we make new discoveries all the time.
Itβs not inaccurate. The electrons do βjust moveβ but the energy transfer mechanism was unknown for static buildup. With enough kinetic energy (aka friction heat, I hate the concept of friction) the charges are going to move and collect easier, just like charging a battery. Just really tiny batteries
Oh I assure you Timmy once you grow up youβll appreciate friction ;) ;)
I had no idea this was unknown, and itβs even crazier that the model for it is still not complete even after this breakthrough. More power to them, being able to fully understand triboelectricity and eventually fully controlling it will be great. Hopefully theyβre able to crack the rest of the mystery soon.
There are a ton of things that we know how to replicate and sometimes think we know how they work, but being able to see in more detail or with better pattern recognition can lead to further understanding. The best part is the new understanding can lead to all kinds of possible applications, like being able to regulate static electricity by manipulating surfaces to either increase or decrease the amount created.
Heck, this could possibly lead to lighter materials for electrical insulation if the effects are relevant for electrical conduction in general.
Oh for sure, I fully understand that there are tons of things/mechanics we take for granted every day that we donβt actually know how it/they work(s) at the most fundamental level. Static electricity just seemed like a pretty important one that Iβd just assumed it was well and thoroughly researched/understood.
Anyway, completely agree with you that this breakthrough is great news and that there are some exciting practical applications that may emerge as a result, particularly the more that model is understood/completed.
Like things we thought we nailed down in the 19th century and havenβt thought to revisit with modern methods and equipment. Then someone decides to look at it again and uncovered a boatload of previously unknown data.
βWe thought we understood hiccups, but this changes EVERYTHING!β
(I dunno if hiccups are secretly a scientific black box or not, but you get the idea.)
Fun hiccup fact: the default human state is hiccups, and thereβs a small part of the brain that normally suppresses them. There have been rare cases where itβa damaged and someone justβ¦ never stops hiccupping. A fate worse than death imo.
That would explain why rapid spinning films over a surface build up incredibly powerful static fields. Itβs been observed that the contact surface area doesnβt seem to matter, and itβs easier to build up with greater velocity. Itβs all about where the energy is going, and itβs into those imperfections. Cool