Question

you have likely experienced a shock in the winter after walking across carpet and touching another person. explain how the types of soles (rubber or leather) on the shoes you both are wearing greatly influence the direction and amount of charge of transfer

Answer 1

Many people ask why they experience shocks when they touch something metal, e.g. a door handle, filing cabinet, lift, window frame, photocopier etc. Static electricity is generated whenever two materials are in contact with each other. All materials are made up of electrically charged atoms. In the universe there are equal amounts of negative electrical charge (electrons) and positive charge (protons). These generally stay in balance at every location. However, when two materials are in contact, some of the charges redistribute by moving from one material to another. This leaves an excess of positive charge on one material and an equal negative charge on the other. When the materials move apart, each takes its own charge with it. One material becomes charged positively and the other negatively. If the materials are able to conduct electricity away the charges will dissipate and eventually recombine. In this case, static electricity effects may be too small to be noticed. However, if the charges are separated faster than the material can dissipate them, the amount of electrostatic charge builds up. Eventually a high voltage, and the effects of static electricity, may be noticed.

If we wearing a rubber shoes rather than a leather shoes then we did not feel any shock with the carpert or floor because rubber is a insulator so there is no charge transfer. but we wearing a leather shoes then a potential difference is created between earth and leather shoes and direction of charge transfer will be towards the earth.