Did you know?
The phenomenon of a charged rubber comb attracting dust particles or pieces of paper, only to repel the paper upon contact, is due to the nature of electrical charges. When the comb runs through the hair, it picks up static electricity from the friction between the materials. The comb becomes negatively charged, while the dust particles and paper remain mostly neutral or positively charged. Opposite charges attract, so the negatively charged comb initially attracts the neutrally or positively charged particles and paper. However, once the paper touches the comb, the charges redistribute. Due to the repulsion between like charges, the paper is then repelled away from the comb. This intriguing behavior illustrates the principles of static electricity and electrical charges at play!
