ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) Myth or reality?
477817
You are just lucky. 10 years ago memory was especially sensitive and we had lots of problems with equipment being sent back. The stockroom people were so dumb they didn't know the difference between conducting foam and shipping peanuts.\nNow there are diodes manufactured with the components to protect them. Doing repairs on the carpet with your cat is similar to putting cigarettes out with gasoline,or wiring with the electricity on. Most of the time it works, so that is proof to some. Still a bad idea and you won't progress beyond home puttering with that technique.
949031
Absolutely.  It's the way in which every electromechanical generator in the World works ☺\n\n\nDoug
979447
Let's see:\nThe triboelectric effect is only related to friction because they both involve adhesion. However, the effect is greatly enhanced by rubbing the materials together, as they touch and separate many times to create an electric charge.\n\nSo, yes.
368105
There are four ways a person can get injured from lightning: a direct strike, "splashes" (when the lightning bounces off something and strikes you), ground strikes (when lightning strikes the ground and then you conduct the electricity), and EMP waves (i don't know what this is). You have a 1 in 3000 chance of being hurt by lightning, and a surge protector lowers that odds even more. So according to the fact that chances are pretty low, I'd say it's safe to stay on the computer.
122678
Toyota has already had major recalls on their Prius models.  Since 1906 (or thereabouts) we have been using 6 to 12 V DC electrical systems in automobiles.  There are huge safety hazards AND regulatory requirements for mobile electrical systems with voltages above 12V DC.  Battery packs in the Prius are hundreds of volts DC, and it is very challenging to make all the switching, wiring, etc. safe in accidents and during repairs.  It is expensive to get the equipment to pass all the regulatory requirements.  A few years ago, there was a push to go to 48 V DC systems in cars, but the arcing caused by a severed wire during a crash could explode the gas in the gas tank, etc.  \n\nI think these risks, considering the current weakness of \nAmerican manufacturers, prevents them from making the leap.  Toyota is making tons of money and has the Japanese manufacturing methods at its disposal.  They still lead the world in electronic qualitiy.  \n\nJust a note on hybrid vs. full electric.  Full electric cars will, in my opinion, never be viable untill there is free electricity.  Our power grid and fossil fuel power generation could never support the transportation industry in this country, as well as creating a huge battery reprocessing problem.  Hybrid, on the other hand, is an "energy recovery" system, which reduces the net energy used of the vehicle, which is far more important than just moving the pollution to the power plant stack.  Hybrid cars use less fuel because they are more efficient.  Full electrics have limited ranges and massive (in weight) battery packs.  The power density of batteries is low, so it would never be practical for trucks and large vehicles.  I think the hybrid shows real promise, but until we deal with energy production as a society, we are screwed.\n\nAs a note--hybrid cars CHARGE THEMSELVES.  You never plug in a "hybrid" as produced by honda or Toyota. The only cars you plug in (like the Saturn) are FULL ELECTRIC, with no gas engine inside.
354210
you mean static shocks its built up sdick electricity and when you touch metal it discharges. there for shocking you. its not real elctrisity.
969911
To say it should be earthed is not strictly correct, although it usually is for conventional protection systems especially if that neutral is made available for single phase connections.\n\nThe reason it is earthed is so that any fault that may occur causes a current to flow and operates the protection device and disconnects the supply.\n\nIf you didn't have the earth, everything would work just fine but a fault could cause a hazardous situation.\n\nSometimes the earth connection may be connected through a resistor so that a current would still flow to operate the protection but the maximum current would be limited so not to damage the transformer. This would not be done in low voltage secondaries where the neutral is used for single phase loads.\n\nA system where the neutral might not be earthed is critical systems such as military or nuclear. These systems would have some circuitry to detect a fault and give an alarm rather than trip anything.
59282
The human body can generate electrostatic discharge up to 30,000 volts.  (Take care when handling electrostatic sensitive equipment.)\n\nExamples:\nWalking across a carpet with leather shoes and low-humdity can raise the human body capacitance charge up to 25,000 volts.\n\nWalking across a linoeum floor can generate up to 5,000 volts.
66731
All computer chips are vulnerable to electrostatic discharge [ESD]. an example of ESD can be seen when on a cold dry day you touch a metal object e.g., a doorknob and you see a spark.\n Locate the chip in your body,  put on a pair of leather soled shoes,rub the shoes across a carpet and then touch the general area of the chip. It will not hurt you and the chip will not function anymore
227656
There are actually special shoes that can be purchased to minimize electrocution risk. We had them in the military, but if the voltage is high enough or there is moisture around ...ZAP
680198
Your concept of the linesman is correct, however, being immersed in a body of water is dangerous.  Lightning carries a far greater potential than that of what the linesman faces.  True, there is no conduction of current to ground, but the copter and the line must be equalized before contact can be made.  This is because of the state of "STATIC ELECTRICITY".  Energy that is "Static" is not moving.  Nevertheless, when it comes in contact with another object, one who's energy level is at a different potential, the energy no longer remains static.  The sudden rush of current will be felt.  That's why when you cross the rug and grab the door knob you get a shock.  You have a significantly higher potential than the door knob and when you touch it there is a rush of energy trying to equalize the differences.\n\nBeing in a pool at essentially zero volts and a crack of lightning hits close by, the ground and the water in the pool will charge up before dissipating the lightning strike, possibly leaving you dead.  Wouldn't that ruin your day?\n\nDuring lightning storms stay out of the pool or the tub, do not be running the sink and stay off the phone (cordless phones do not apply in this case as there is no direct wiring to the outside world).  There have been documented cases where persons on the phone have been struck in the head by lightning, again it's due to that equalization of energy levels thing.\n\nHey, even if everyone is wrong, wanna risk your life?  You could die in a tub if someone dropped something electrical in the water.  True, your assumption is that water conducts better than the human body, but that is a wrong assumption.  Pure water is an insulator.  It's the impurity in water that makes it conduct.  Our bodies are actually much better conductors of electricity.  Don't believe me?  Ask someone like an electric shop teacher.\n\nI hesitate to give you a test to try because of the danger of electrocution, but if I were at your house I could demonstrate in a matter of seconds that what I am saying is true.  But for the sake of not causing someone to try a potentially dangerous experiment I'll not be specific.\n\nHowever, if you must know, e-mail me and we can chat.  When I am confident of your ability to conduct the test safely then I will tell you how to do this.
814188
No matter how great the voltage or electrical source, the current will pass through the water through the path of least resistence to find ground...\n\nNo fish will die, even if the path is through them, since they will only act as a conductor and not direct path to ground...\n\nTo test this, You and a friend should work together...  Hold hands.  Only of you acheive a static charge, like dragging your feet on the carpet, and then the other while you are holding hand hould touch a door knob (grounded object)...  Only the person touching ground will get the shock, even though the electricity passed though you both...\n\nFlying Airplanes get struck by lightening all the time, but they seldom have any electrical issues and since they are not grounded, the passengers don't feel a thing...  It's kinda scary, but it's cool too.
444242
Yes very good insulation as most domestic wiring is insulated with PVC there are some specialist plastics which can be made to conduct electricity but not normaly.\njust to add for all the people saying that it is not an insulator my work involves working on live overhead line equipment up to 11000 volts and the only thing that keeps me alive is the plastic insulation on the truck and tools
263570
Instances of "ball lightning", or at least phenomena that might well be construed as ball lightning, have been observed for hundreds of years. It is indeed likely that many historical (or contemporary) accounts relating to magic or UFOs may well be related to this natural phenomenon. Despite these many years of precedent, however, it is only over the past few decades that scientists have begun to take ball lightning seriously.\n\nClick here for a short educational film.\n \nInformation about ball lightning (as no theory has been confirmed as the 'definitive answer') comes mostly from eye-witness reports. Unfortunately, these sightings vary wildly in content, perhaps indicating that there are different kinds of ball lightning stalking the people of Earth.\n \nIn May of 1949, several farm labourers were gathering the asparagus harvest in Rushford, England. Peggy and Delia Filby were among those who took refuge from a rainstorm by sheltering themselves within a tarpaulin covered trailer. During the height of the thunderstorm, a brilliant flash rocked the area indicating a heavy lightning strike. Delia and others then saw what they described as a "football-sized, softly glowing orange-red ball of light". It gave off neither sparks nor rays, and did not pulse as it bounced across the field, towards the frightened observers. Within a few seconds, however, the ball disappeared soundlessly. The workers experienced something like an electric shock as it did so.\n \nIn 1967, M. Dmitriev, a Russian chemist, was camping on the banks of the Onegaw river. Following an intense lightning flash, a "ball of fire" appeared about 30 cm over the surface of the water, unaffected by the intense winds. The ball crackled and hissed as it flew past his head and into a group of nearby trees. The sphere bounced from tree to tree "like a billiard ball", emitting a trail of blue-grey smoke.\n \nOne of the most (in)famous ball lightning sightings comes from Roger Jennison, professor of Electronics at the University of Kent. In March of 1963, while caught in a storm en route from New York to Washington, his plane was enveloped by a bright and audible electrical discharge. Some seconds later, a glowing sphere emerged from the pilot's cabin and passed through the central aisle of the aeroplane, from one end to the other. The ball floated at about 75 cm above the floor, and moved at approximately 1.5 metres per second (relative to the aircraft). It gave off no discernible heat, and was an opaque, blue-white colour.\n \nFrom these accounts and others, scientists have come to understand that ball lightning typically occurs shortly after 'normal lightning', although it has been known to arise several days after such a lightning strike. It appears able to pass through glass and solid objects, sometimes causing damage in the process, and only rarely emits heat. Sometimes a hissing or crackling sound can be heard, other times it is perfectly silent.\n \n \nBall Lightning origin theories from AA&ES Magazine.\n \n"A simple answer to the phenomenon doesn't appear to be forthcoming and tentative explanations rely heavily on theoretical physics. One of the current favourites concerns electromagnetic plasmoid models: the greatest problem for the theorist is explaining how sufficient energy be contained within such a small space without it being emitted steadily and continuously, but sometimes suddenly. Dr. Geoff Endean (School of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Durham) has suggested that the energy containment problem can be circumvented since a very rapidly rotating electric field can exist in a plasma without a magnetic field with no apparent limit to the electrical field strength - heady stuff indeed.\n \nFurthermore, it has also been suggested that ball lightning may occur quite frequently but the electromagnetism associated with it is not strong enough to render it visible to the eye
1086026
You can get an idea on counting the discs on the insulator string and multiplying by 12kV/disc.\nAgain it is only a general rule of thumb and is not accurate.\n\nSource 50 years as an Electrical Engineer
1088763
A lot of static electricity in the air can cause "dry lightning".  I assume that is what happened.
689580
You can get one from CompUSA or Radio Shack. To install one: \nFirst of all, WEAR ESD PROTECTION!!!\n1. open your computer case\n2. Place into (what more than likely should be) a PCI slot. \n3. Go through the setup process on the CD (that comes with it) to install the drivers.\n\n\nIf you're not familiar with this process, I would do what was said earlier, and have a technician or a computer expert look at it.