My brother thinks he was shocked, but the thing he touched was plastic. Could the plastic have conducted electricity?
Plastic like any other material has potential to collect static charge on its surface. If your brother was shocked, it wasn't because plastic conducts electricity, but because it had static charge. Experimental Validation of above answer: Rub a plastic comb against fur or hair, and place it besides small tit-bits of paper. The small paper pieces will stick to the comb.
Yes ! There are conductive plastics, though they do not conduct nearly as well as copper. Also, most commercial plastic compositions are not pure polymer; they are filled [mixed with other stuff] to increase strength, lower cost, etc. Some fillers, such as graphite and carbon black, are conductive. Besides that, all the charge had to do was travel over the surface, not through the body of the plastic.
This Site Might Help You. RE: Can plastic conduct electricity? My brother thinks he was shocked, but the thing he touched was plastic. Could the plastic have conducted electricity?
Does Plastic Conduct Electricity
There are conductive plastics , but what your brother ran into wasn't one of them. They are special polymers (fancy word for plastics) that are used in batteries and special circuits. But most plastics aren't conductive which is why they use them for insulation on wires Your brother probably got a good static electric charge. You know how when you comb your hair on certain days and it gets attracted to the brush or comb? Well that is a built up static electric charge. Plastic can hold a charge on it's outside surface by any frictional force and then the first person to ground it out will get that shock especially on a low humidity day ,or indoors with a good dehumidifier or air conditioner to take the moisture out of the air. In fact dry air inside of air conditioned places is just as conductive to static electricity as winter days are in the north for getting a good shock
