How to Measure Electrostatic Discharge

Measure static electricity with an electrometer.

Conventional electricity, used today within people's homes, is due to the flow of negatively charged electrons. Static electricity, as its name implies, is due to stationary charges and is the result of an imbalance in electrical charges between two objects. You cannot measure static electricity using a standard digital multimeter, since the voltage will discharge before there is a chance to read the display. Instead, you'll need a special device known as an electrometer.

Things You'll Need

• Electrometer

Instructions

1. Plug the leads into the electrometer. Two leads should be supplied with the electrometer. Plug the red lead into the positive terminal and the black lead into the negative terminal.

2. Switch on the electrometer and connect one terminal to ground. Ground in this case means a reference 0 Volt point. A good electrical ground may be found on the copper pipes in bathrooms.

3. Connect the remaining lead of the electrometer to the object in question. For example, this could be a human being or a balloon. To generate the static electricity, rub the balloon or get the person to scuff his feet. The static electricity voltage will display on the electrometer.

References

• Measuring Your Body Voltage; William J. Beaty; 1999