Re: [Phys-l] burning match discharges charged body

[Scott Goelzer <s.goelzer@comcast.net>]

Tape or melt three or four birthday candles together produce a large  
sooty flame. Place this near your van de Graff generator in still air  
and the flame will flatten and separate into two flickering and  
recombining tails. Soot will accum. on the dome of the generator.  
Makes for good discussion about what is fire.


Scott








On Feb 8, 2007, at 8:39 AM, Spagna Jr., George wrote:

> Tom Bross asks
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
> [mailto:phys-l->bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of
> tbross@aol.com
>
> > When I charge an electroscope, I found that lighting a match nearby
> will >cause a discharge.  Does anyone have an explanation?
>
> The flame is partially ionized - those ions are migrating to and
> discharging the electroscope.
>
> **********************************************
>
>  "A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into
>
> theorems."      -- Paul Erdos
>
> **********************************************
>
> Dr. George Spagna
> Chair, Physics Department
> Randolph-Macon College
> P.O. Box 5005
> Ashland, VA 23005-5505
>
> phone: (804) 752-7344
> fax: (804) 752-4724
> e-mail: gspagna@rmc.edu
> http://faculty.rmc.edu/gspagna
>
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