Understanding Electric Field: Why is it Greater at Sharp Points?

[dowjonez]

My teacher in class told me that the electric field of a equally charged object is greater at sharp points, he never explained why and i don't really understand it.

For example if a knife was a charged object the electric field would be greatest at the point of the blade.


Im thinking that since electric field lines cannot overlap and since two lines are converging at a point that the field lines must increase to avoid each other

i dunno

any help?

 

[ranger]

Electrons are emitted where the electrical field strength is greatest; this is from wherever the radius of curvature of the surface is smallest, i.e. from a sharp point or edge rather than a flat surface.

 

[Jelfish]

Charge is distributed on the surface of a conductor. So you can sort of think of a point of a knife as having the more surface area per volume then the rest of it.

This is also why you shouldn't put pointy conductors in a microwave. The small surface area of the point can cause a huge build-up of charge when the electrons are sloshing back and forth due to the changing radiation. The buildup at a point can easily have voltages high enough to inonize air.

 

[1nquisitive1]

Electrons are emitted where the electrical field strength is greatest; this is from wherever the radius of curvature of the surface is smallest, i.e. from a sharp point or edge rather than a flat surface.

This would seem to explain why you get sparks in a microwave oven from crinkled foil but not from a smoother metal surface like a spoon, correct? I am also scouring this forum for a satisfactory explanation of the role of plasma in the creation of sparks in a microwave - what exactly is happening that results in the creation of a "spark", that can be seen, in a microwave? Is it like a plasma arc? Where does the light come from? Presumably photon, ok that might sound stupid, but I am curious about the underlying sequence of events that makes the visible spark.

cheers