Voltages involved in electrostatic phenomena

From: Nicholas Bodley (nbodley@world.std.com)
Date: Wed Mar 28 2001 - 12:08:07 PST


Somehow, you seem to be omitting the quantitative! Perceptible*
electrostatic effects invariably involve at least a few thousand
volts. What differs from ordinary electric power at thousands of
volts is that the available current for electrostatic phenomena is
ordinarily in the microampere or nanoampere range, except during
sudden charging or discharging.

*Static-zap damage to modern electronics can happen at 100 volts or
less. You can't feel a static zap of less than about 3,000 volts...

Curious whether you get into xerographic printing, which most
assuredly involves electrostatics and photoconductivity. (Hardly a
DIY project, by far! Carlson (?) worked on the idea for decades
before he succeeded, afaik.)

Nicholas Bodley |@| Waltham, Mass.
Please reply to nbodley@alumni.princeton.edu
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