what materials should I use to make static electricty. Most efficient ?

[templedog]

I want to roll a ball (made out of the best material) over a flat surface of some kind to create the most static electricity I can. What material do you think I should use?

 

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[YT2095]

insufficient data in all aspects to provide a meaningful answer, please elaborate.

[templedog]

I want the ball to receive as many electrons as possible from the material it rolls on. But I don't know what kind of ball I should use, or what kind of surface. Is there a way to make sure the ball gets a positive charge?

[YT2095]

the idea is inefficient, rolling implies low friction, and you need friction to generate the charge.

also, Electrons are Negatively charged, not positive

[templedog]

yes, low friction, but if I do it enough, it has to generate a charge over time, I would think.

 

I'm thinking about using Teflon tape as the surface and a glass ball. If it rolled over it a lot, what would happen?

[timetes]

I wonder.....can a mirror reflect an electric charge back from where it came? Or would it go through that too....what would stop an electric charge or static electricity?

[Klaynos]

Mirrors are metals, and therefore will become charged themselves when the electron hits them... Unless you are talking about putting mirrors into fields in which case things get a tad complicated as you've a metalic plate which will have all it's electrons pushed away from the -ve charge (or vise versa)

 

Will it be "mirrored" I honestly can't recall off of the top of my head when this tired (the 'mirror' would have the opposite charge of course)

[timetes]

Cant believe that I cant find any literature about material that would stop an electric or static charge.

Most books talk about making the charge ...copper wire...magnets etc...types of movement etc. Also talks about loosing the charges.. So If I cant find where the original charge is its impossible to stop the shock.

 

Yaknow.... if someone found a "material" that a charge would push away and render the charge dead they'd be rich:) They could add this material to black top or building materials to stop electrical storms or tornatos from hitting an area. LOL sounds easy.........

[cameron marical]

rubber?

[CaptainPanic]

What you should be looking at is the Van de Graaff generator.

 

The list you'll be wanting to check out is on the right hand side of this wikipedia website (click).

 

The main problem you'll face in this case is that the ball is in constant contact with the surface. So, even if you choose the correct materials, the ball will only get a minor negative charge... electrons often travel quite well on surfaces, so once the ball is slightly charged, the ball will charge as fast as it will discharge (meaning that the net-effect is that nothing happens).

 

Take a look at the Van de Graaff generator. They use the brushes, also called upper and lower electrode, to add and remove the electrons to the belt. The belt in the Van de Graaff generator is what would be the ball in your case...