Scientists have figured out why cats "electrocute themselves"

American researchers were finally able to reveal the mechanism of static electricity generation when materials such as cat hair friction and proposed a scientific model of this phenomenon.

The researchers found that friction of materials at the micro level leads to deformation of the surface: small irregularities are bent and compressed. At the nanoscale, these deformations cause the generation of charges on different parts of objects. For example, when you pet a cat, the fur and your hand rub against each other, and opposite charges start to form on different parts of the surface.

These charges build up on opposite sides of the object, creating a difference in potential. When the voltage reaches a certain level, it can cause a discharge - the same small electric shock you feel when you touch another object. The researchers also proposed a mathematical model to calculate the amount of static electricity generated by friction and validated their calculations experimentally.

The key concept in the new model is "elastic shear," which is a phenomenonin which a material resists an applied sliding force. An example is a plate that you move across the surface of a table. When you stop pushing it, the movement stops due to friction. This friction is what causes electrical charges to move on the surface of the materials.

The study, published in the journal Nano Letters, was an important step in understanding the mechanism of static electricity formation. Now scientists can explain why such phenomena occur, for example, when stroking a cat, rubbing a balloon against your head or going down a plastic slide.