As the weather gets colder and dryer, you are more likely to get shocked when getting out of a car, touching a door knob, or doing laundry. Is there a way to prevent getting shocked on the car door? You bet there is!
Enjoy!
If you’ve ever wondered why your car will sometimes give you a painful shock when you climb out, this video explains the science behind it, and how to prevent it.
In this video from the Physics Girl YouTube channel, host Dianna Cowern explains exactly why exiting your car can cause a nasty static shock when you touch the outside of it. When you get out of the car, you slide your body across the seat, and that can leave both the seat and your body statically charged. If the air is cold and dry enough, the charge will quickly and violently transfer from your body into the car’s metal and shock you. Cowern suggests the easiest way to avoid this is by touching the metalwhile you exit the vehicle. Even if charge builds up, it will slowly flow from your body to the metal without creating the violent “shocking” event.
