Is the online hot selling anti-static artifact really effective?

Changjiang Daily Wuhan Client, February 17th (Reporter Shang Pei) "Opening a car door is like touching a door switch, taking off a sweater comes with flashing special effects, shaking hands instantly turns into Pikachu!" Recently, Mr. Liu, a citizen, has frequently complained to Changjiang Daily reporters. Since the beginning of winter, he has been hit by static electricity more than ten times a day on average, and now he dare not even wear woolen clothes. Mr. Liu saw a dazzling array of anti-static gadgets recommended online, but he couldn't help but wonder about their actual effectiveness. To dispel this doubt, the reporter interviewed two physics professionals to understand whether these anti-static products are truly effective.

The 'anti-static artifact' on e-commerce platforms.

On February 16th, the reporter searched for "anti-static artifact" on e-commerce platforms and found that the price range of such products is very wide, from 9.9 yuan free shipping keychains to 568 yuan smart bracelets, and more than a hundred products are advertised as "eliminating static electricity in one second". The commodity review area is more polarized: some consumers say that the effect is remarkable, "sweaters will not crackle in one day", "skirts will no longer stick to legs due to static electricity", and some people roast that "anti-static bracelets are useless", "it is another day to pay IQ tax".

The anti-static bracelet shared by netizens. Image from Xiaohongshu user

Shang Zegan, a PhD student in the Department of Physics at a university, pointed out in an interview that the generation of static electricity mainly comes from the friction between objects, which promotes the transfer of electrons and forms a potential difference on the surface of the object. When the human body comes into contact with a conductor, it will cause an instantaneous discharge phenomenon. Behaviors such as walking and taking off clothes in daily life can cause friction between the human body and materials such as clothing and floors, leading to the redistribution of electrons and ultimately generating static electricity.

A physics teacher surnamed Yue from Wuhan No. 49 Middle School introduced that although slight electrostatic shocks do not pose substantial harm to the human body, static electricity can cause many troubles and potential hazards in production and life. For example, in flammable and explosive places such as gas stations and dust workshops, sparks generated by static electricity are highly likely to ignite surrounding combustibles and cause major accidents.

Does the online hot selling anti-static artifact actually have any practical effect? Teacher Yue said: "These products have certain effects under certain conditions, such as spray can reduce the static electricity of clothes, and bracelets can release static electricity when they are grounded. But some products are suspected of exaggerating publicity, especially in the case of incorrect use methods, the actual role is limited."

Teacher Yue further explained that the antistatic spray containing surfactant can increase its conductivity after being sprayed on the object surface, thus reducing the accumulation of static electricity in a short time. However, the effect of this kind of spray lasts for a short time and requires frequent re spraying to maintain the effect. And those wireless wristbands and other products that claim to be anti-static, if they cannot be effectively grounded, cannot continuously release charges, and their anti-static effect is difficult to guarantee.

Essentially, anti-static products are like charge carriers, "suggested Shang Zegan. In daily life, if you want to scientifically prevent static electricity, you can start from reducing static electricity accumulation and avoiding tip discharge. For example, increasing indoor humidity appropriately and wearing less synthetic clothing as much as possible can reduce the accumulation of charges; Before touching a metal object, you can first touch a large area of conductor, such as sticking your palm to a wall or holding a key before touching a door handle, which can effectively avoid the stinging sensation caused by fingertip discharge.