Question

Where are you most likely to build up enough static charge to receive a shock?

Answer 1

Try petting a cat while standing on a carpet. Hold onto the cat while you discharge the static you build up on both of you by using the method at the end of the explanation.

Explanation:

While I am totally impressed by the idea Renens S. had, there are some more `at home` ways to build up shocking static.

Encounters with static will increase during the winter months for those of us in temperate climates using heating in the winter. That makes the air dryer, and less conductive of static buildup.

You can often see static buildup between many fabrics in the clothes dryer unless added products prevent the static.

If you sit on the couch or carpet and pet the cat, (cats have the best fur for generating static) you can build up quite a charge. Do not be mean and leave the cat charged at the end of your experiment.

Another method is to walk down a carpeted hallway inside a building particularly in leather shoes. You could generate a spark up to `2cm` long.

The best way to avoid the static shock is to hold a key or any (metal preferred) pointed object tightly in your hand and touch it to a doorknob, or metal door frame, or large metal furniture. You may see a really fast light show.