Electric spark between person and another person/thing

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    Electric Spark
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the phenomenon of experiencing electric sparks when touching other people or objects, particularly in the context of moving to a hot and dry climate. Participants explore potential causes, including environmental factors and materials involved.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes an increase in electric sparks since moving to a hot and dry country, questioning whether temperature is a factor.
  • Another participant suggests that dry air can slow down charge loss, allowing for larger voltage build-up, and mentions that certain floor materials can contribute to static charge accumulation.
  • A follow-up inquiry asks about the materials of the floors and shoes in the new environment, proposing that humidity may play a more significant role than temperature in static electricity experiences.
  • A participant agrees that low humidity contributes to electric discharges and seeks clarification on which types of carpets or flooring are more prone to generating static electricity.
  • One participant identifies wool and synthetic fiber carpets as particularly problematic for static charge build-up.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that low humidity contributes to the occurrence of electric sparks, but there is no consensus on the relative importance of temperature versus humidity or the specific materials involved.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about environmental conditions and the types of materials involved in static charge generation, which may not be universally applicable.

ZdMh
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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?
 
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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).
 
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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 ?
 
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@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]
 

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