

Man's static jacket sparks alert (2005) - merah
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4252692.stm

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eli
This story sounds.... untrue. While it's certainly plausible to have 40,000
volts of static electricity, the amount of _energy_ involved is extremely
small. Way too small to burn holes in a carpet. (Also, it's from 2005.)

Edit: "Several unanswered objections mark the story as a possible hoax"
[http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Australian_man_allegedly_ignites...](http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Australian_man_allegedly_ignites_carpet,_plastic_with_static_electricity)

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christiangenco
...that's terrifying. Would that high of a voltage being carried on his body
not have killed him when it was discharged?

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csense
I'm no electronics expert, but AFAIK in normal situations static electricity
has high voltage but very low capacitance. Basically, with the materials and
geometry involved, there isn't enough charge at 40 kV to cause serious damage
-- as the article says, the worst that could happen is the spark starts a fire
(which may of course cause a lot of damage and loss of life if it's not put
out, but at that point it's no longer an electrical phenomenon).

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wl
My first thought: Firemen are equipped with electrostatic field meters and
trained how to use them?!

Second thought: 40 kV isn't THAT much. I've seen such readings on people
before. Such people are in for a world of hurt when they discharge, but it's
not going to cause any fires.

This story doesn't make sense.

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eli
And indeed Wikipedia suggests that's the maximum possible. Any more would
dissipate into the air.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_electricity#Energies_inv...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_electricity#Energies_involved)

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namank
How is such a large accumulation of charge possible in an open system that is
everyday life?!

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marcosdumay
Dry air is a very good insulator, and 40kV is not a huge potential for
statical charges, artifical charges get in hundreds of kV easily and in the MV
with just a bit of planning.

