Hello, I wanted to know if anyone could help me understand the properties of static electricity and how the effect certain components, such as diodes, resistors etc.

 

You have not said enough to tell us how to address you. Are you a curious citizen with zero training? A student in the second year of electronics school? A worker in a nuclear power plant? A communications technician?

 

Static electricity... I perceive a language problem.

 

Hello, I wanted to know if anyone could help me understand the properties of static electricity and how the effect certain components, such as diodes, resistors etc.

Although ESD (i.e. electrostatic discharge) is principally an issue only with components featuring high impedance (i.e. insulated) "junctions" (e.g. MOS, IGBTs, LASER diodes, etc) extreme manifestations may damage other technologies as well --- FWIW Highly effective 'component-level' ESD 'hardening' is practically realizable via employment of Silicon-On-Sapphire technology...

As a side note: The term "static electricity" is troublesome in that, by definition, 'electricity' is charge in flux... That said, the term generally refers to charge on 'inadvertent capacitors' or current attendant to discharge of same...

Hope this is of some assistance
Best regards
HP

 

Here is an introduction to the subject:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/static.html