Page "Electric charge" Paragraph 12

There are times when macroscopic objects contain ions distributed throughout the material, rigidly bound in place, giving an overall net positive or negative charge to the object.

Also, macroscopic objects made of conductive elements, can more or less easily ( depending on the element ) take on or give off electrons, and then maintain a net negative or positive charge indefinitely.

When the net electric charge of an object is non-zero and motionless, the phenomenon is known as static electricity.

This can easily be produced by rubbing two dissimilar materials together, such as rubbing amber with fur or glass with silk.

In this way non-conductive materials can be charged to a significant degree, either positively or negatively.

Charge taken from one material is moved to the other material, leaving an opposite charge of the same magnitude behind.

The law of conservation of charge always applies, giving the object from which a negative charge has been taken a positive charge of the same magnitude, and vice-versa.