Reading Mission: What is "Static"?
What did Maya see? It might be static electricity. You **have probably experienced** this phenomenon. Perhaps you **walked** across a carpet and then **felt** a small shock when you touched a metal doorknob. Or maybe your hair **stood** up when you took off a wool hat. This isn't magic; it's science.
Everything in the world **is made** of atoms. Atoms are tiny, invisible particles. These atoms have even smaller parts called electrons. Most of the time, atoms are neutral—they have a balance of positive and negative charges. But electrons **can** move. When you rub two different materials together, like your socks on the carpet, electrons **can** jump from one material to the other.
One material (your socks) **gets** extra electrons and becomes negatively charged. The other material (the carpet) **loses** electrons and becomes positively charged. Your whole body **is building** up a negative charge!
Nature **loves** balance. When you get close to a conductor, like the metal doorknob, all those extra electrons **will jump** very quickly to the doorknob to escape. That "jump" is the spark or shock you feel! Scientists **call** this an 'electrostatic discharge.'
So, **should** we be afraid of it? Not really. The static shocks from our bodies are tiny. However, in some places, static electricity **must** be controlled. At a gas station, a small spark **could** be very dangerous. Engineers **are always working** on ways to prevent static build-up in sensitive areas. Maybe Maya's photo **wasn't** a ghost; it was just science at work.