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Re: Mist Maker Question



At 12:03 PM -0700 5/16/00, Chuck Britton wrote:
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.

That's neat. How did I get to be 65 without learning that before?

On very rare occasions (and, I believe, only under cloud) the surface
electric field is reversed; it points upward. I know that lightning
of reversed polarity has been observed. Is there information on other
phenomena which might attend these rare inversions, particularly to
do with positive ion excess?

Leigh