Forest EngPhys Chapt21
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Triboelectricity (a.k.a. static electricity)
When an initially neutrally charged person walks across the wool carpet, the loosly bound electrons in his leather shoes can be taken by the atoms in a wool carpet. The person becomes more positively charged with each step taken.
When the positively charged person nears a metal (conducting) door, they will attract negative charge
When the positively charged person gets near the metal door he will actually attract charges from the door which jump in the form of a spark. Notice how only the negative charges (electrons) are free to move.