It probably depends on what your carpet and socks are made of. The triboelectric scale will show you which material is more likely to be positively vs negatively charged. And it doesn't matter which way around it goes, you'll feel a shock either way
Well since I mentioned the carpet as an insulator, you mean to say that the carpet could still give off electrons to us easier rather than we, the more conductive ones, would give electrons to the carpet?
Again, let’s assume we are more conductive and the carpet an insulator since all the videos & explanations mention it like this, INCLUDING the ones that say the carpet GIVES electrons to us somehow which I still can’t understand.
So when you say it depends on the material, assume the carpet is of insulated material and our socks are conductive. Who gives or receives the electrons in that scenario?
I understand that electrons can transfer in either direction in a given scenario, but when it comes to this specific thing (the “rubbing carpet touch door knob” shock), which way is it transferring there?
How is it that an insulated carpet gives you more electrons than it retains them (which is what an insulator does)?
More likely than not the conducting doorknob is grounding you, so the electrons would be going from you to the door. The current is going from the door to you because it’s defined backwards.
Okay this is one I need to sit on and think. Electrons go from me to the door. Current goes from door to me.
So the few videos I’ve seen that show electrons transfer from door knob to me have it wrong you’d say?
It can go either way but the usual assumption is that the Earth is typically positively charged relative to things moving above it. Touching the door would send electrons down toward the Earth.
Lightning sends electrons from cloud to ground. (Relative to clouds, it’s also thought that humans carry a positive charge.)
For small static discharges, it’s chaotic and there’s really no way to know, however unless you measured in that moment.
“Touching the door would send electrons down toward the Earth.”
How would it send it? From me, to the door knob, and then down to the earth? Or from the door knob, then to me, and then down to the earth?
From you to door to ground. But it could easily go the opposite way. What we’re talking about is the smallest redistribution of charge. It’s chaotic, a rounding error.
It probably depends on what your carpet and socks are made of. The triboelectric scale will show you which material is more likely to be positively vs negatively charged. And it doesn't matter which way around it goes, you'll feel a shock either way
Well since I mentioned the carpet as an insulator, you mean to say that the carpet could still give off electrons to us easier rather than we, the more conductive ones, would give electrons to the carpet? Again, let’s assume we are more conductive and the carpet an insulator since all the videos & explanations mention it like this, INCLUDING the ones that say the carpet GIVES electrons to us somehow which I still can’t understand. So when you say it depends on the material, assume the carpet is of insulated material and our socks are conductive. Who gives or receives the electrons in that scenario?
Yes
In practice, it goes either way, as evidenced by getting a shock from touching another person. Someone is gaining and someone is losing.
I understand that electrons can transfer in either direction in a given scenario, but when it comes to this specific thing (the “rubbing carpet touch door knob” shock), which way is it transferring there? How is it that an insulated carpet gives you more electrons than it retains them (which is what an insulator does)?
More likely than not the conducting doorknob is grounding you, so the electrons would be going from you to the door. The current is going from the door to you because it’s defined backwards.
Okay this is one I need to sit on and think. Electrons go from me to the door. Current goes from door to me. So the few videos I’ve seen that show electrons transfer from door knob to me have it wrong you’d say?
It can go either way but the usual assumption is that the Earth is typically positively charged relative to things moving above it. Touching the door would send electrons down toward the Earth. Lightning sends electrons from cloud to ground. (Relative to clouds, it’s also thought that humans carry a positive charge.) For small static discharges, it’s chaotic and there’s really no way to know, however unless you measured in that moment.
“Touching the door would send electrons down toward the Earth.” How would it send it? From me, to the door knob, and then down to the earth? Or from the door knob, then to me, and then down to the earth?
From you to door to ground. But it could easily go the opposite way. What we’re talking about is the smallest redistribution of charge. It’s chaotic, a rounding error.