Static cling is a phenomenon caused by static electricity. When dry materials rub against each other, they can exchange electrons, creating an electrical charge. This charge can build up in the form of static electricity and cause two objects, typically clothing, to stick or hold together. When electrons are exchanged, one object will gain them, becoming negatively charged, while the other will lose them, becoming positively charged.
Oppositely charged objects will then become attracted to each other. That is why clothes sometimes stick to each other when they are taken out of a clothes dryer — different items of clothing that have opposite charges are attracted to each other. Static cling is not only seen with clothing, and many different types of signs work on due to this phenomenon. For example, many car decals, signs, or bumper stickers , are static stickers. Why do clothes stick together in the dryer?
When you dry clothes in the dryer, different fabrics rub together, and electrons from a cotton sock for instance may rub off onto a polyester shirt. In plain English as it relates to laundry — when 2 different fabrics think cotton and polyester are dry and rub together, they exchange electrons and create an electrical charge. The charge builds up in the form of static electricity and can cause 2 fabrics to stick together.
This is the dreaded static cling. And it only gets worse with cooler, drier air e. Throwing a few balls of aluminum in the dryer will fight this. The foil balls both discharge any static buildup that the clothes may experience and help keep the clothes separated, which should speed up the drying process.
Roll up a sheet of aluminum foil into a ball and throw it in the dryer. This helps to reduce static electricity and keep clothes crisp. Plus, it will not leave any grime on your clothing, and it can be reused for months, which can save a lot of money on your laundry!
Why dryer sheets are a bad idea In the dryer, the stearic acid melts from the heat, coating the clothes to make them soft and reduce static.
Unfortunately, the film from the dryer sheet also coats your entire dryer. The residue from the fabric softener sheet builds up on the filter, load after load. All you need to do is tear off three sheets of aluminum foil, each about a foot long. Roll them together in a ball about two to three inches in diamater, and toss that ball into the clothes dryer along with your laundry.
Run the dryer as you normally would, and voila— no more static cling, and no dryer sheets needed! Wool dryer balls are an all-natural, chemical-free alternative.
They can absorb moisture as well. The reason this is so useful is that you can get rid of nasty shoe odor and other odors by placing a dryer sheet in the sole of the shoe and letting it sit overnight. You can add half a fresh dryer sheet to your vacuum bag or canister to make the house smell great while vacuuming! Atoms are more stable when their outer shell is full.
Atoms crave this stability so much that if two atoms brush against each other, they'll try and share or exchange electrons in order to balance themselves out. That makes the atoms, and your socks, stick together—in other words, it creates static cling. When you pull your socks apart after a spin in the dryer, the crackling static electricity comes from the sticky surface electrons being yanked away from each other. Dryer sheets pre-empt static electricity by releasing positively charged particles that satisfy the cravings of negatively charged surface atoms on your laundry.
So now the negative surfaces are more positive, and therefore they're not so attracted to the other positive. The results? Less electron exchange, less adhesion, and less static cling.
Now try and answer these questions:. Static Electricity is a four-part lesson by Science NetLinks for grades For older students, The Physics Classroom offers this detailed primer on static electricity. See the Tool. See the Collection. See the Lesson.
0コメント