[id10t]

So I had a few bourbons last night....

And got to thinking.... How is static electricity and the attraction between the legs of my flannel house pants similar and/or different from magnetism?

And this morning, now that I am sober... I'm still pondering it.


So I know magnets work due to how the individual atoms are aligned in the matrix of the metal. You can "unmake" an iron magnet by simply getting it hot enough to loosen that matrix structure and letting the molecules rearrange themselves naturally.

But what about the attraction properties seen with static electricity? The legs of my pants, a balloon and the hairs on your arms, etc. Obviously no matrix structure, tons of various elements and compounds together so electron counts and valences should all balance properly, etc.

Help an id10t out. But try to make it so I can understand w/o drinking more bourbon.