Electric spark between person and another person/thing

  • Thread starter Thread starter ZdMh
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Electric Spark
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the phenomenon of experiencing electric sparks when touching others or objects, particularly in hot and dry climates. The user, Tom, notes that moving to a country with temperatures around 40-45 degrees Celsius and 15% humidity has intensified these experiences. Key factors contributing to this include the low humidity, which reduces charge loss, and specific floor materials, such as wool or synthetic carpets, that tend to build up static electricity. Historical context is provided by Tom's experience with hardware damage due to static charges in the early nineties.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of static electricity principles
  • Knowledge of humidity's effect on electrical charge
  • Familiarity with materials that generate static electricity
  • Awareness of environmental factors affecting electrical discharge
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the effects of humidity on static electricity
  • Explore materials that contribute to static charge buildup
  • Investigate methods to mitigate static electricity in dry environments
  • Learn about the physics of electric discharge and its applications
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for individuals interested in physics, environmental science, and anyone experiencing issues with static electricity, particularly in dry climates. It is also relevant for professionals in fields where static discharge can cause equipment damage.

ZdMh
Messages
13
Reaction score
3
TL;DR
Why an electric spark is happening a lot and much stronger in a new country I recently moved to
Hello All!

You know sometimes you touch another person and you felt an electric spark between both of you, or sometimes with things like the door handle, etc. I moved lately to a hot and dry country where the temperature is around 40-45 celsius degrees now in August, but since I moved here this electric spark happened a lot and much stronger. Yes, I know maybe I must plug myself into a battery to charge it for free Huh, but really why this is happening and is the reason related to the higher temperature?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Klystron
Engineering news on Phys.org
Dry air slows down the charge loss, so it is easier to build up large voltages. But, often the culprit is just the surface on which you are walking - some carpets/floor types have tendency to quickly built static charges when you walk on them, it doesn't have anything with geography. Back in early nineties I worked at a company where we were forced into replacing the carpet after we lost some hardware to static charges (and I don't speak about anything really fancy, we killed interfaces between things like printers, computers etc).
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: ZdMh
ZdMh said:
I moved lately to a hot and dry country where the temperature is around 40-45 celsius degrees now in August, but since I moved here this electric spark happened a lot and much stronger.
Are the floors covered with the same material as before ?
Do you wear the same shoes as before ?
I would expect seasonal variation in humidity to be more important than temperature.
What are the two countries ?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: ZdMh
@Borek @Baluncore
I think you both are right. My current country is so dry [15% Humidity], while my old one was humid. Therefore the electric discharge is easlily happening!
But thank you for mentioning the idea of "some carpets/floor types", I didn't know of that before... what types do you mean[have a tendency to quickly built static charges]
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
0
Views
568
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
4K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
5K
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
3K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K