POWER IS ALWAYS DANGEROUS POWER IS ALWAYS DANGEROUS. POWER ATTRACTS THE WORST AND CORRUPTS THE BEST. - Edward Abbey -

HOW CAN OBJECTS BE CHARGED, AND HOW DOES A CHARGED OBJECT INTERACT WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS? LET’S GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT ATOMIC STRUCTURE. AN ATOM IS COMPOSED OF THREE TYPES OF PARTICLES, TWO OF THEM CHARGED.

PARTICLE MASS, amu CHARGE LOCATION PROTON 1 + NUCLEUS NEUTRON ELECTRON - SHELLS CHARGE ON ELECTRON = CHARGE ON PROTON WHEN THEY ARE EQUAL, ELECTRALY NEUTRAL

IN CHEM, YOU LEARNED THAT WITH SOME ATOMS, THE ELECTRONS COULD BE PERSUADED TO LEAVE THE ATOM EASIER THAN WITH OTHER ATOMS. TWO TYPES OF ATOMS: MORE PROTONS THAT ELECTRONS – POSITIVE (CATIONS) MORE ELECTRONS THAT PROTONS – NEGTATIVE (ANIONS)

OBJECTS ARE MADE UP OF DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF ATOMS OBJECTS ARE MADE UP OF DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF ATOMS. THIS GIVES DIFFERENT OBJECTS DIFFERENT ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES. ONE IMPORTANT PROPERTY OF ATOMS IS ELECTRON AFFINITY – THE ABILITY OF ATOMS TO ATTRACT ELECTRONS. IF WE BRING TWO DIFFERENT MATERIALS TOGETHER, ONE MATERIAL MAY HAVE A GREATER ATTRACTION FOR ELECTRONS.

ONE WAY OF TRANSFERRING ELECTRONS IS THROUGH FRICTION. IF WE RUB THE MATERIALS TOGETHER WE CAN TRANSFER ELECTRONS TO THE MATERIAL WITH THE HIGHER ELECTRON AFFINITY. IF WE DO THIS VIGOROUSLY, ESPECIALLY ON A DRY DAY, WE MIGHT EVEN HEAR A CRACKLING, WHICH IS JUST THE ATOMS WAY OF SAYING “I LOVE YOUR ELECTRONS.” THIS ALSO LEADS TO BAD HAIR DAYS AND SHOCKS WHEN YOU SLIDE ACROSS YOUR CAR SEAT TO GET OUT.

THE OBJECTS AT THE TOP OF THE SERIES TEND TO HAVE A GREATER AFFINITY FOR ELECTRONS THAT THOSE AT THE BOTTOM.

WHEN YOU RUB TWO OBJECTS TOGETHER, SAY RUBBER, AND FUR, THEY WERE ELECTRICALLY NEUTRAL TO BEGIN WITH. AFTER RUBBING, THE RUBBER (BALLOON) WILL HAVE AN EXCESS OF ELECTRONS AND WILL BE NEGATIVELLY CHARGED. THE FUR WILL HAVE LOST ELECTRONS, AND WILL BE POSITIVELY CHARGED. THE CHARGES BALANCE OUT. THERE WILL BE THE SAME NUMBER OF POSITIVE CHARGES AS NEGATIVE CHARGES – THE LAW OF CHARGE CONSERVATION.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF STATIC ELECTRICITY – THE SEPARATION OF CHARGE THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF STATIC ELECTRICITY – THE SEPARATION OF CHARGE. AFTER SEPARATION, THE CHARGES ARE NOT FLOWING – JUST SITTING THERE.

WHILE WE ARE ON THE TOPIC OF STATIC ELECTRICITIY, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT LIGHTNING. LIGHTNING IS A STATIC ELECTRIC DISCHARGE THAT OCCURS IN THE ATMOSPHERE. QUITE OFTEN THIS OCCURS IN THUNDER STORMS, BUT IT CAN ALSO OCCUR DURING DUST STORMS AND VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS. YOU NEED FRICTION BETWEEN PARTICLES IN THE CLOUD.

YOU GET MOST OF YOUR CHARGE BUILDUP ABOVE WHERE FREEZING OCCURS – BETWEEN ICE PARTICLES WHICH TEND TO BE NEGATIVELY CHARGED AND WATER DROPLETS WHICH TEND TO BE POSITIVELY CHARGED. YOUR STORM CLOUDS ARE THE BIG CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS WHOSE TOPS GO UP TO 15 KM. THE STRONG UPDRAFTS AND DOWNDRAFTS PROVIDE THE MOTION AND ENERGY FOR FRICTION.

THE VILLAGE OF KIFUKA IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO HAS THE HIGHEST LIGHTNING RATE ON EARTH AT 158 STRIKES PER SQUARE KM PER YEAR. FOR A STRIKE TO OCCUR, THE CHARGE MUST BUILD UP ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE ELECTRICAL INSULATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE. THE THUNDER IS A RESULT OF THE AIR BEING HEATED SO HOT THAT IT LITERALLY EXPLODES. IT TAKES ABOUT 5 SECONDS PER MILE FOR THE SOUND TO REACH YOU AFTER YOU SEE THE FLASH.

TYPICAL LIGHTNING CAN PRODUCE 30,000 AMPERES OF CURRENT. AN AVERAGE OF 51 PEOPLE PER YEAR ARE KILLED BY LIGHTNING IN THE U.S., AND MANY MORE ARE INJURED. GET IN A CAR OR INSIDE. A STEEL FRAME BUILDING IS BEST. STAY AWAY FROM TALL TREES.

AVOID WIRE FENCES.