Re: [Phys-l] Electrostatics and humidity

[Tom Sandin <sandint@ncat.edu>]

We use a hand held blower-type hair dryer set to high.

Tom Sandin

At 7:46 AM -0600 2/8/07, Rauber, Joel wrote:
> Not any references, but we have had some success using heat lamps to
> warm the silk cloths and fur cloths that we use in our electrostatics
> labs.
>
> ________________________
> Joel Rauber
> Department of Physics - SDSU
>
> Joel.Rauber@sdstate.edu
> 605-688-4293
>
>
>
> | -----Original Message-----
> | From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
> | [mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf
> | Of Kilmer, Skip
> | Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 2:15 PM
> | To: phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
> | Subject: [Phys-l] Electrostatics and humidity
> |
> | Just starting electrostatics, my class came across the
> | "textbook" (Giancoli) explanation that when the humidity is
> | high, polar water molecules transport electrons to or from
> | charged objects, discharging them. I remember learning
> | sometime in my 33 years of teaching that you can prevent this
> | discharge by cleaning the objects before charging them,
> | implying that salts on their surfaces become conductors by
> | absorbing (adsorbing?) water from the air on a humid day. Has
> | anyone actually studied this phenomenon or know of any good
> | references? My own experience is that the cleanliness matters
> | more than the humidity.
> | Skip
> | _______________________________________________