I got a question the other day about the difference between a chemical reaction and static charge--what's the difference? I couldn't find an answer that satisfied the student so I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions?
In a chemical reaction, electrons are shared or stolen between atoms to form new substances. In static charge, positively or negatively charged particles flow between substances so the substances become more negatively charged or more positively charged.
But how do I explain that the electron transfer is different in each case?
Thanks for your help!