How much damage can static electricity do?

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I'AM ELECTRIC MAN!!!!
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Inquisitor said:
An electric shock is an electric shock. The only difference is that static shocks come from a static charge source, so they're instantaneous rather than continuous (and hence don't carry on as long as you're in contact with the source).
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Not really... An electric shock from the mains is AC, which is much more likely to cause your heart to enter a spasm, giving you a heart attack. Static shocks on the other hand are more like DC, which is very unlikely to make your heart spasm - DC is like what is used by defibrillators which are used to stop your heart from spasming.
 
Aod said:
i'm pretty sure that the repetetive static shocks that the OP mentioned is just friction static and not lightning, you know, because he'd be dead if it were...
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I know this is incredibly pedantic, but lightning is friction static :p
 
Samueltastic said:
Static shocks is about 1,000 odd volts. They hurt but there not dangerous as they have extreamly little amperage.
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Most static shocks have much much higher voltages. I can't remember the figures but for it to jump the electricity has to have enought voltage to break down the resistance of the air, which over say, 5mm is quite a high resistance.

You are very right about the current though its is miscule, hence the reason you cant die from your average static shock :)
 
Raikiri said:
I know this is incredibly pedantic, but lightning is friction static :p
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as a physicist i'm well versed in the precise way in which lightning is formed.

on the other hand, how else would you verbally differentiate between "lightning-grade" static and "slight-zap-on-the-finger-static"?

:rolleyes:
 
Our youngest son was showing his dad how he could stick a balloon to one of the lounge cabinets at the weekend. His dad went on to give a detailed explanation of static electricity and how it can cause this phenomenon, to which our son turned the balloon around and said "No, it's blu-tak"
 
Aod said:
as a physicist i'm well versed in the precise way in which lightning is formed.

on the other hand, how else would you verbally differentiate between "lightning-grade" static and "slight-zap-on-the-finger-static"?

:rolleyes:
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I know this is incredibly pedantic, but writing something on a forum isn't verbally differentiating :p

Also, no need to get so uptight about a light hearted comment
 
ordinaryjoe said:
I know this is incredibly pedantic, but writing something on a forum isn't verbally differentiating :p

Also, no need to get so uptight about a light hearted comment
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unnecessary pedantry shows that people are trying to look more intelligent/knowledgeable than they actually are :p
 
jp_bl_68 said:
I've been getting a lot of static shocks recently and I was wondering how much damage they could do. If you got a shock to your eyeball could it blind you?
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I've had megavolt static shocks, repeatedly and deliberately because I found it interesting. Crank up the Van de Graaf generator, stand on a plastic basin and point at someone standing on the floor nearby...if you get close enough, you can cast a lightning bolt at them! Well, OK, a tiny electrostatic discharge over a couple of inches at most...but it's still very cool when you're a kid.

As far as I know, static is completely harmless to humans in any kind of voltage you could reasonably encounter. I think you could be injured if you were charged up enough, but we're talking about implausible levels of charge here.

Although I wouldn't discharge static into my eyeball, or anyone else's eyeball. Just in case.
 
Samueltastic said:
Static shocks is about 1,000 odd volts. They hurt but there not dangerous as they have extreamly little amperage.
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It's way over 1000V if you can hear or see the discharge. I think about 25,000 V is needed to create a visible ESD. I recall that you can total over 1 MV just from taking off a woolly jumper.
 
Aod said:
as a physicist i'm well versed in the precise way in which lightning is formed.

on the other hand, how else would you verbally differentiate between "lightning-grade" static and "slight-zap-on-the-finger-static"?

:rolleyes:
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I think it would involve the word 'fatal' :)

I know it is possible to survive being hit by lightning, but it's not something you'd want to bet your life on :)

I didn't know that lightning was static. So this thread has taught me something.
 
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Angilion said:
I think it would involve the word 'fatal' :)

I know it is possible to survive being hit by lightning, but it's not something you'd want to bet your life on :)

I didn't know that lightning was static. So this thread has taught me something.
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aye, it's created when ice crystals form in rain-clouds, which rub against each other, causing an aggregate transfer of electrons, this continues either until the cloud dissipates or the charge reaches a high enough level to allow the ground-->cloud arc to form, which ionizes the air-path allowing the second, much larger strike to "flow" down to ground.

obviously, there are many different types of lightning - I've only described the basic process.
 
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