A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.
Rules
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
With sufficient voltage, everything is a conductor.
With insufficient voltage, everything is an insulator.
Neither may be conducive to those roles, but everything has some conductivity and some resistance (super conductors being a possible exception).
How about in vacuum? Do you get fancy arcs or glows or what?
In typical conditions, an electrical arc forms when the electric field strength exceeds the dielectric strength of the medium (like air). In a vacuum, there is no medium to ionize, which theoretically makes it difficult for an arc to form. However, electricity can still arc in a vacuum under certain conditions, such as when high voltages are involved or when the electrodes are extremely close together.
I was thinking neon lights. I mean that's basically an arc, just spread out. I think I heard that there's a glow in vacuum too, just not as nice as with neon.
Well, a quick search turned up this: Vacuum Arc
However, like the above comment, it seems to refer to freeing electrons from the conducts, so, IMHO, you no longer have a vacuum.
If you could somehow maintain a perfect vacuum; I wonder how this concept Virtual particle would come into play (or if it would at all).
Oh hey, I design those. Though I design them so that there's an incredibly low risk they do that.
Boorring, we want sparks ✨️
...and DEATH
I'll see what I can fit into my next design
🫶
High frequency! It Mega hurtz!
Low frequency! It kill a hurtz!
Ultra high frequency! It giga hurtz!
Pretty much any high voltage high frequency thing really hurtz. It'll kill you at different rates but it'll hurt the entire time.
Still the path of least resistance
Or is it the path of most convenience? 🤷♀️
Sounds the same to me
Looks like a mad scientist cackling a maniacal laugh.
It's like one of those lichtenburg patterns, except in air.
Low voltage: "Oh no, there is a tiny spot of corrosion on the contact surface, I think I need to lie down..."
High voltage: (rips line of coke) "I'M GONNA MAKE MY OWN WIRES WITH BLACKJACK AND HOOKERS!"
This is particularly applicable around downed power cables. Do NOT approach. You don't need to touch it to become the wire.
For example: in LA right now
Especially dangerous if it's a high voltage wire. Even standing close you can become the least resistant path to earth.
dO nOT toUch the DoWn wIres uuuum I have MY RIGHTS to turn myself into a gas station hotdogs thankyouverymuch
Everything is a wire if the voltage is high enough.
Every machine is a smoke machine if you use it wrong enough.
Oi! As an engineer I worked damn hard to trap that magic smoke in the machine only for you to let it out and try perfectly good components. Treat your machines with respect, they're getting smarter by the day and they're forgetting less and less!
"it's current not voltage that kills you"
High voltage: "Por que no los dos?"
High voltage: “hey bestie, how would you like a ✨️new and improved ✨️ nervous system?”
When you cast Chain Lightning at nothing.