Basic Electrostatics
If you drive in a car on a cold dry day you might experience an electrical shock as you step out of the vehicle. This occurs because the car builds up an electrical charge and "earths" or flows through you when you step on the ground.
In other words you act as an electrical conductor, in the process giving you an electrical shock.
A conductor is a material that allows electricity to flow through it. An insulator is a material that electricity cannot flow through.
Some examples of conductors are: Water People and Animals Gold Aluminium Platinum Trees Silver Copper
Some examples of insulators are: Glass Rubber Plastic
Objects become electrically charge through a process of conduction or induction. An electrically neutral object is charged by conduction when a charged object comes into contact with it.
The two forms of electrical charge are positive and negative.
When two electrically charged objects are placed near each other they exert a force on each other. If the objects have the same charge then they will repel and if they carry different charges, they will attract.
Electricity can be divided into to two types: Static and Current Electricity
Static electricity is electricity that does not move or flow.
Current electricity flows or moves through some conductor.