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Answers to Readers' Questions on Physical Science:

Static Electricity Sparks

The following 21 comments and questions have been sent in. They are listed according to date.

List of first 10 items

• Can sparks jump between your hands?
• Danger of an umbrella in a rain storm
• What are lightning arrestors?
• Are you safe in a car when lightning hits it?
• Why can't I see electricity?
• How can you get rid of electrons?
• Could lightning be captured?
• Can two lightning bolts collide?
• Can lightning energy be used?
• Amount of voltage in lightning?

Next 10

Can sparks jump between your hands?

Question

June 5, 2008

IS THERE ANY WAY TO USE STATIC ELECTRICITY TOO MAKE VISIABLE LIGHTING BETEEN YOUR HANDS LIKE IN STAR WARS,SAY IF YOU HAD A DEVICE THAT CHARGED YOU POSTIVLEY WOULD THAT WORK

- USA

16049

Answer

Static electricity sparks jump between objects that have positive and negative charges, such as a spark jumping from your finger to a door knob. The problem with having a spark jump between your hands is that if one hand has a positive charge the other hand will also have the same charge, and thus it is impossible for the spark to jump.

You could have an object in each hand that would cause sparks to jump between them.

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Danger of an umbrella in a rain storm

Question

November 1, 2007

why is it dangerous to carry a sharp pointed umbrella when it is raining?

jose - Kenya

14684

Answer

Some houses have lightning rods on their roof. This is a sharp metal rod that will attract lightning, so it will not damage the house.

Because of this, some think that a sharp pointed umbrella will also attract lightning during a storm. The thing is that lightning will strike the highest object around. The lightning rod is higher than the house roof. Being sharp helps attract the lightning.

If you were in an open field during a storm, it would not be a good idea to have an umbrella with a sharp point. But it there are buildings and trees in the area, there is little risk. they would be hit by lightning before you would.

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What are lightning arrestors?

Question

August 6, 2007

i) what are arrestors ? How do they work ?
ii) what is electrical hazards ?

yamakanta - Nepal

14164

Answer

Lightning arrestors are mounted outside a structure and must be grounded so that the electrical charges from a lightning strike will go into the ground. It acts like a shunt to carry the current or surge away from sensitive equipment.

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Are you safe in a car when lightning hits it?

Question

July 19, 2007

why does lighting cannt affect the person who's inside the car?

Lhie - USA

14100

Answer

As long as you are not touching any metal in the car, you are generally safe if lightning would strike the car. The reason is that the electrical current will travel through the outside metal of the car and then jump to the ground.

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Why can't I see electricity?

Question

May 26, 2007

Why can you sometimes see a spark if you can't see electricity!

Latricesha/Queshana - USA

13838

Answer

The spark is caused by the electrons (electricity) heating up the air. Electrons are too small to see with the naked eye.

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How can you get rid of electrons?

Question

May 20, 2007

I hv 2 questions -

* Is there any way to loose all the Electrons from yourself or your body ?

* What will happen if that happens ?

GS - India

13817

Answer

You can drain off the free electrons associated with static electricity by touching a metal object. The other electrons are attached to atoms and are necessary to maintain stability.

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Could lightning be captured?

Question

March 6, 2007

Even though lightning is random and unpredictable, is it possible to somehow capture this energy and use it in a circuit? If so, where would the end of the circuit go if your initial charge comes form the air?

Ashley - CANADA

13317

Answer

There are various devices that are used to capture static electricity. On a small scale, there is the Leyden jar. Benjamin Franklin used a Leyden jar to collect static electricity in his famous kite experiment. On a larger scale, a high-voltage capacitor can be used.

The capacitor could capture the energy from a lightning bolt and store it until it is discharged. This could be done by attaching a wire to the positive and negative ends of the capacitor or of the Leyden jar, creating a circuit. Typically, all of the electricity would be discharged at once, as opposed to trickling it out over time.

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Can two lightning bolts collide?

Question

July 8, 2006

Is it possible for two or more lightning bolts to collide and if so, what is the result?

Cala - USA

11443

Answer

A lightning bolt is a rush of electrons from one cloud to another cloud or object. It is possible that lightning bolts from two different clouds would go to a single target at the same time. But bolts would never intercept, because they go from the cloud to the nearest oppositely charged object.

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Can lightning energy be used?

Question

June 18, 2006

will lightning be produced if air is made a conductor?it is true that if air is made a conductor, existence will indeed be a big question but what are the possible advantages of making air a conductor?its said tht lightning produces 120000000v of energy.can this energy be used?

neenu - India

11346

Answer

Water particles in the air help to conduct the electricity. But is is the great potential energy (voltage) that builds up enough to create the flow of electrons. Since lightning is so random, it is difficult to harness the energy.

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Amount of voltage in lightning?

Question

May 28, 2006

May I please

1. The Lightning Stroke which we receive with Thunder Stroms is that AC or DC?
2. What is the amount of Voltage, Current, Energy it has got in it?

Thanking you,
With Regrds,
J. Harinadham.

Hari - India

11209

Answer

Lightning is the release of static electricity. It is no considered AC or DC, since those are currents in an electrical circuit.

The voltage of a lightning bolt is over 1 million volts. The current is between 5,000 and 20,000 amperes. The power generated is V*I.

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