So as far as I understand it; static electricity means that one object kind of “steals” electrons from another and an electrostatic discharge should balance this out.
What I don’t understand is what happens if that isn’t a closed loop. E.g. when I walk over a carpet with socks on I get charged and when I touch a door handle or another person I can feel a discharge. So let’s say I get electrons from the carpet and give my excess electrons to the door handle, won’t that handle then have too many electrons? And doesn’t the carpet constantly have not enough of them afterwards?
In: Physics
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It isn’t truly an open system.
The door handle can donate electrons to the door. The door can donate electrons to the door frame. The door frame can donate electrons to the walls. The walls can donate electrons to the floor. The floor can donate electrons to the carpet. They can also both exchange electrons with the air. **It’s just a slow and tedious process.**
You can feel an electric shock when the charges build up more quickly than these processes can take them away again.
In practice, most things are attached to the ground – either naturally, or deliberately (as in electrical appliances).
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