最新研究揭示靜電產生的原因
New Study Reveals Why Static Electricity Happens
一樁源自古希臘的謎團——簡單的靜電震擊——終於透過觀察材料在奈米尺度的行為而獲得了破解。
A mystery dating back to Ancient Greece—the simple static shock—has finally been solved by looking at the nanoscale behavior of materials.
兩千六百多年來，靜電一直是一種難以捉摸的科學現象。
For over 2,600 years, static electricity has been an elusive scientific phenomenon.
然而，西北大學的研究人員終於破解了其中的密碼，並將其研究成果發表於《奈米快報》(Nano Letters)。
However, researchers at Northwestern University have finally cracked the code, publishing their findings in Nano Letters.
這種受力上的差異被稱為「彈性剪切」(Elastic shear)，正是它產生了我們感受到的那種觸電感。
This difference in force, known as elastic shear, is what creates the current we feel as a zap.
了解這種摩擦起電效應不僅僅是為了避免討厭的靜電。
Understanding this triboelectric effect is more than just avoiding annoying shocks.
它對工業安全具有重大意義，有助於防止在易燃環境中產生危險火花，並能改進如雷射印表機之類的技術。
It has major implications for industrial safety, helping to prevent dangerous sparks in flammable environments, and improves technology like laser printers.
