electrostatics

/ɪˌlɛktrəˈstætɪks/
noun
  1. The branch of physics that deals with electric charges that are not moving, such as static electricity.
    • Electrostatics explains why a comb can attract small pieces of paper after being brushed through dry hair.
    • In physics class, we learned about electrostatics by rubbing a balloon on our hair.
    • The principles of electrostatics are used in devices like photocopiers and air filters.