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Re: Mist Maker Question

At 1:10 PM -0400 5/16/00, Tony Wayne wrote:

Any ideas, scientifically, on why they can claim it to be a "negative ion"
generator. Wouldn't the water vapor it creates neutralize any charged
particles it may generate. How much physics and chemistry can you get out of
understanding this little device?


Since the earth is surrounded by a downward pointing E field of about
150 V/m, we can use Gauss' Law to calculate an average density of
'un-neutralized' electrons that are scattered across the surface of
the earth and any conducting surface which is 'grounded'. i.e. the
surface of the water in the your 'mister' has excess electrons on it.

When the surface is disturbed, the E field is greatest at the peaks
of the ripples. This is true with ocean waves as well. When droplets
separate from the wave peaks, excess electrons are carried away into
the atmosphere on the droplets. Waterfalls create this cloud of
negative ions as well.

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