Re: triboelectric effects

[Joseph Bellina <jbellina@saintmarys.edu>]

While you can wave you hands about the various ways charge can be 
transferred, as far as I know, there is no good working theory which 
explains the transfer of charge due to rubbing...so your student's 
question is a good one...at the edge of our scientific understanding.

cheers

On 
Wed, 14 Jan 1998, GARY HEMMINGER wrote:

> Can anyone give a description of the exact mechanism for one of the 
> common effects that we see in the lab:  e.g.  rubber rods become 
> negative when rubbed with fur.    My students are always curious 
> about this,  and I while I want them to understand that there are a 
> few possibilities;   transfer of electrons, transfer of negative ions, 
> transfer of positive ions, or combinations of these,  I'm interested to 
> know exactly what is known about this.   
>
> *****************************************
>   Gary Hemminger                   
>   Dwight-Engelwood School           
>   315 E. Palisade Ave.             
>   Englewood, New Jersey            
>              07631                   
>   e-mail: hemmig@d-e.pvt.k12.nj.us
> ********************************************