1. Electrostatic phenomena

1.1 Origin of electrostatic phenomena

Most bodies are electrically neutral, however, it is possible to transfer charges through various processes:

• Frictional electrification, which consists in extracting charges by rubbing the body in question;

• contact electrification: an apparently uncharged body brought into contact with an electrically charged body (e.g. by the previous process) becomes automatically charged;

• electrification by influence: an initially neutral body placed close to a charged body has its charge distribution modified and in turn becomes electrically charged;

• electrification by mechanical action: certain initially neutral...