Static electricity occurs when electrical charges build up on the surface of an object. This usually happens through —when two different materials rub against each other, electrons are transferred from one to the other. One object becomes positively charged (losing electrons), while the other becomes negatively charged (gaining electrons).

Friction transfers electrons from your hair to the balloon. Your individual hairs all acquire the same positive charge. Since like charges repel each other, the hairs push apart and stand up to get as far away from one another as possible.

Dynamic electricity, commonly known as , is the continuous flow of electrons through a conductor, such as a copper wire. Unlike the sudden "jump" of static electricity, dynamic electricity requires a closed loop—a circuit —and a power source (like a battery or generator) to push the electrons along.

Copper is a conductor , meaning its atoms have "loose" electrons that allow current to flow easily. Rubber is an insulator ; its electrons are tightly bound, preventing the flow of electricity and protecting users from shocks.

No. In dynamic electricity, if a circuit is broken (e.g., a switch is turned off), the flow of electrons simply stops because there is no path. The electrons do not typically build up on the surface of the wire to create a static charge in the same way friction does.