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Static cling
 
 
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Static cling is the tendency for light objects to stick (cling) to other objects due to static electricity
Electrostatics

Electrostatics is the branch of science that deals with the phenomena arising from stationary or slowly moving electric charges.Since classical antiquity it was known that some materials such as amber attract light particles after Triboelectric effect....
. It is common in clothing but occurs with other items, such as the tendency of dust to be attracted to, and stick to, plastic items.

lothing static cling occurs from static electricity usually due to rubbing as in a clothes dryer
Clothes dryer

A clothes dryer or tumble dryer is a household appliance that is used to remove the moisture from a load of clothing and other textiles, generally shortly after they are cleaned in a washing machine....
 (the Triboelectric effect
Triboelectric effect

The triboelectric effect is a type of contact electrification in which certain materials become electric charge after they come into contact with another different material and are then separated ....
). It is especially noticable when humidity
Humidity

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean relative humidity. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a Air parcel of air to the saturated vapor pressure of water vapor at a prescribed temperature....
 is low allowing static electricity to build up.






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Encyclopedia


Static cling is the tendency for light objects to stick (cling) to other objects due to static electricity
Electrostatics

Electrostatics is the branch of science that deals with the phenomena arising from stationary or slowly moving electric charges.Since classical antiquity it was known that some materials such as amber attract light particles after Triboelectric effect....
. It is common in clothing but occurs with other items, such as the tendency of dust to be attracted to, and stick to, plastic items.

Cause and prevention

In clothing static cling occurs from static electricity usually due to rubbing as in a clothes dryer
Clothes dryer

A clothes dryer or tumble dryer is a household appliance that is used to remove the moisture from a load of clothing and other textiles, generally shortly after they are cleaned in a washing machine....
 (the Triboelectric effect
Triboelectric effect

The triboelectric effect is a type of contact electrification in which certain materials become electric charge after they come into contact with another different material and are then separated ....
). It is especially noticable when humidity
Humidity

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean relative humidity. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a Air parcel of air to the saturated vapor pressure of water vapor at a prescribed temperature....
 is low allowing static electricity to build up. Certain substances can reduce this and are often included in fabric softener
Fabric softener

Fabric Softener is used to prevent static cling and make fabric softer. It is available as a liquid or as dryer sheets. Popular brand names include Downy , Snuggle, Bounce , Comfort and Sta-Soft....
 and dryer sheets. Antistatic agent
Antistatic agent

An antistatic agent is a compound used for treatment of materials or their surfaces in order to reduce or eliminate buildup of static electricity generally caused by the triboelectric effect....
s make the surfaces slightly conductive, which reduces or prevents the static charge buildup. (Diluted fabric softener is sometimes sprayed on carpets as an inexpensive way to reduce static discharge.)

In advertising

Advertisers in urban areas, eager to use guerilla marketing techniques, have turned to static cling as a distribution medium. In an advertising campaign for MSN
MSN

MSN is a collection of Internet services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system....
, Microsoft
Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of computer software products for computing devices....
's online service, thousands of butterflies resembling the MSN logo were affixed to surfaces in New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 and held there with static cling.