Question

In winter season, a mild spark is often seen when a man touches somebody else's skin. Why?

• A. Due to lack of humidity and rubbing with clothes, charge accumulate on human body which is discharged via sparking
• B. Due to cold, electrostatic charge on body finds a lower resistance path to the skin of other's body
• C. The static charge on sweaters worn by the two persons is different, hence discharge through sparking occurs
• D. Similar to the lightning, extremely high potential exists on both the bodies and hence they discharge through sparking

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

Due to lack of humidity and rubbing with clothes, charge accumulate on human body which is discharged via sparking

Due to friction between clothes and skin, electrostatic charge is built up on skin. Hence, electrical discharge may occur when a man touches somebody else. This phenomenon is more significant in winters because due to low humidity, charge has a tendency to stay longer on the body.