Re: Greased Lightning! (YANI)

Martin Read <mpread@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> kirjoitti 29.08.2006:

Realistically, generating a large enough potential difference between a
foot-long stick held in your hand and the rest of the world to achieve
breakdown voltage over a distance of tens of feet (at 40kV/inch, the
breakdown voltage of a mere ten feet of air is about 4.8 MV) would mostly
result in the charge earthing itself through your body. After all, it
would only have to overcome the breakdown voltage of a foot or so of air
(at most) and the soles of your boots.

Indeed. If you wanted to come up with a semi-serious explanation for
it, you might imagine the wand magically sucking electrons from
whatever you point it at, as well as from the air in between. The
electrons are stored in the wand and then released, at which point
they return via the path of ionized air back to where they came from,
with obvious effects.

That won't explain bouncing, though.

--
Ilmari Karonen
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