I see. What if the ball was floating in a vacuum? Would it ever discharge? Can electrons jump within a vacuum or would that require an absurdly high amount of chargeosilmag said:If you mean never as in forever, that is an exaggeration. In theory, it should not. Although, I would be somewhat confident that it would discharge naturally through the air, rather than the wood, after a long time.
Presumably there will be ions in the ambient air. What do you think might happen?PhDnotForMe said:So charged metal ball touching a wooden table will never discharge? Even after a long time like a year?
Depends upon what you specify as "vacuum". If it's simply a region of space within our solar system, remember that the solar wind which fills that space has many charged particles.PhDnotForMe said:I see. What if the ball was floating in a vacuum? Would it ever discharge? Can electrons jump within a vacuum or would that require an absurdly high amount of charge
If it is a man made vacuum on Earth in my living room, will the charged object inside ever discharge?gneill said:If it's simply a region of space within our solar system, remember that the solar wind which fills that space has many charged particles.
I think that there would be a lot to investigate about how you isolate the charged object. No insulator made of real material is perfect; The existence of gravity means you'll need to support the object somehow. That and cosmic rays will still penetrate any container you can reasonably construct in your living room, so yeah, it'll very much likely discharge given sufficient time.PhDnotForMe said:If it is a man made vacuum on Earth in my living room, will the charged object inside ever discharge?
Unless there is something external that allows the charge to dissipate or be cancelled, the charge will last indefinitely. I think that was your question.PhDnotForMe said:If so, if the ball was hovering in a vacuum environment will it ever discharge?
A charged metal ball wrapped in rubber or other insulator is a type of object used in experiments to demonstrate the principles of electrostatics. It consists of a metal ball that has been given a positive or negative charge and is then covered in a layer of rubber or other insulating material to prevent the charge from escaping.
When a metal ball is charged, it creates an electric field around it. The insulating material prevents the charges from escaping and keeps the electric field contained. This allows for the study of electric fields and their effects without interference from outside sources.
Charged metal balls wrapped in rubber or other insulators are commonly used in experiments to demonstrate the principles of electrostatics and electric fields. They can also be used in demonstrations of lightning and in high voltage experiments.
A charged metal ball wrapped in rubber or other insulator is created by using a device called an electrostatic generator. This device creates a high voltage charge that is transferred to the metal ball, and then the ball is covered in the insulating material.
Yes, it is important to handle a charged metal ball wrapped in rubber or other insulator with caution. The high voltage charge can be dangerous and can cause electric shocks. It is important to follow safety guidelines and use protective equipment when working with these objects.