Static Shock
For weeks now, I have been jolted by static shocks from time to time when I grab my mouse after walking around our teeny office. Our floor's not even carpeted, so I'm really wondering where the extra negative charges come from... Or am I really that negative right now???? It is irritating at times, especially when boss is around (I am noisy when I get surprised. =|)
So i snooped around the internet to look for solutions to this problem. But first, the preliminaries:
What causes static shock?
Static shock occurs when we acquire extra negative electrons (hence negative static charge) by rubbing onto another object (like a carpet, for instance) and then holding on to a conductive object (like a doorknob or any electronic equipment: MOUSE!). ZAP! electrons jump from us to these objects so we feel static shock.
So how do we eliminate this problem?
Here are some tips i got from the WWW:
- increase humidity in the room
- change clothes - synthetic fibers pick up more static charge
- rub clothes with fabric softener sheets or spray with dilluted fabric softener
- change shoes - leather soles are good
- moisturize skin
- consider wearing a wrist strap with a wire connected to the electrical 'gound'
- walk barefoot
- wear a thimble in your finger or carry a coin and use them to touch grounded metal objects as often as possible
- ground one's self before touching sensitive electronic equipment
- always keep hand in contact with the metal part of the car door while getting out of the car
- try driving completely naked (whoa!)
So there you are! Do you have any other tips? Leave a comment!
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