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The effects of static electricity are familiar to most people because they can feel, hear, and even see sparks if the excess charge is neutralized when brought close to an electrical conductor (for example, a path to ground), or a region with an excess charge of the opposite polarity (positive or negative).
But, while static electricity may be cute to think about when petting a cat, sparks can result in industrial fires and explosions. It can also hinder consistent dosing for powdered pharmaceuticals.
Electric shock — Physiological reaction of a biological organism to the passage of electric current through its body. Ferranti effect — A rise in the amplitude of the AC voltage at the receiving end of a transmission line , compared with the sending-end voltage, due to the capacitance between the conductors, when the receiving end is open ...
An electrical injury (electric injury) or electrical shock (electric shock) is damage sustained to the skin or internal organs on direct contact with an electric current. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] The injury depends on the density of the current , tissue resistance and duration of contact. [ 4 ]
Signs of an impending strike nearby can include a crackling sound, sensations of static electricity in the hair or skin, the standing of hair on end, the pungent smell of ozone, or the appearance of a blue haze around persons or objects (St. Elmo's fire).
Many science museums, such as the American Museum of Science and Energy, have small-scale Van de Graaff generators on display, and exploit their static-producing qualities to create "lightning" or make people's hair stand up. Van de Graaff generators are also used in schools and science shows.
Rotor tip lights produce a visually similar but distinct effect. The effect is often and incorrectly believed to be an electrical phenomenon, either as a result of static electricity as in St. Elmo's Fire, or due to the interaction of sand with the rotor (triboelectric effect), or a piezoelectric property of quartz sand.
The point is positioned very near or contacting the plate. A source of high voltage such as a Leyden jar (a type of capacitor) or a static electricity generator is applied to the needle, typically through a spark gap. This creates a sudden, small electrical discharge along the surface of the plate. This deposits stranded areas of charge onto ...