Static Electricity: The Hair-Raiser (2D) — Coulomb Repulsion, Side View

Charge

Total charge Q 40

Click the head to zap in more charge. Drag the small grounded probe near the hair tips to bleed the charge away. Drag empty space to pan, scroll/pinch to zoom.

Hair

Number of strands 26

Stiffness (torsional spring) 0.50

Strand length 1.00

Live Readouts

Charge / strand

—

Avg. flare angle

0.0°

How it works (2D model)

This side-view uses a deliberately simpler model than the 3D version: each strand is one stiff rod pivoting on its scalp anchor, not a multi-segment chain. The rod's angle θ away from its resting (radial) direction obeys rotational dynamics driven by three real torques:

τ_gravity   = r × (0, -mg)
τ_stiffness = -k·θ            (torsional spring, resists bending)
τ_coulomb   = r × F,  F = k·Q1·Q2/r²   (real Coulomb force between tip charges)

All strand charge sits at the tip (a simplification of the distributed charge used in the 3D chain model), and every pair of tips repels with the genuine inverse-square law. Higher total charge → bigger Coulomb torque → larger equilibrium θ → hair stands up. Ground it and the torsional spring plus gravity pull it back down.

Charged strand tip Grounded probe

drag = pan · wheel = zoom

Static Electricity: The Hair-Raiser — Side View