Umair Gaines
The concept of shooting electricity, often seen in science fiction, has sparked curiosity about its potential real-world applications. While it is technically possible to shoot electricity through the air, it is challenging to do so in a controlled and safe manner. Air serves as a highly resistant medium for electrical current, necessitating an immensely high voltage to transmit electricity. This voltage requirement poses significant technical hurdles and safety concerns, making it impractical for weapons or other intended purposes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Possibility | Not impossible |
| Challenges | Air is resistant to electrical current, requiring immensely high voltage; unpredictable and difficult to control |
| Alternatives | Regular firearms are cheaper, more convenient, accurate, and effective at long range; tasers and electrolasers are more practical at short range |
| Fiction | Science fiction guns, Tesla coil guns, and devices in Timothy Zahn's Cobra Trilogy |
| Safety | Requires adult supervision for high-voltage equipment |
| Methods | High-powered squirt gun with conductive electrolyte solution; laser creating a stream of ionized gas; Tesla coils |
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What You'll Learn
Guns that shoot electricity exist but are impractical
Guns that shoot electricity may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but they do exist in real life. However, they are not without their drawbacks and limitations, which make them impractical for widespread use.
Firstly, it's important to understand that electricity follows the path of least resistance. Air is highly resistant to electrical current, so for electricity to travel through the air, it needs to be at an extremely high voltage. A lightning bolt, for example, has between 100 million and 1 billion volts and travels directly from the thundercloud to the ground. Replicating this level of power in a handheld device presents a significant technical challenge.
Even if one could generate such high voltages in a portable device, there are further complications. The electricity would likely arc to the nearest ground, which could be the gun itself or even the person holding it. This makes it highly unpredictable and unsafe, as it could inadvertently hit bystanders, objects, or power lines, causing unintended damage or even a city-wide blackout.
While electrolasers offer a potential solution by first shooting a laser to create a plasma field for the electricity to pass through, they have their own limitations. They are not effective for stunning individuals safely, and their inaccuracy over long ranges makes them impractical for lethal use compared to traditional firearms. At short ranges, they become torture devices, and at long ranges, they are outclassed by invisible ray gun technology like the US military's Active Denial System.
In conclusion, while guns that shoot electricity may capture the imagination, they face significant technical hurdles and are outperformed by existing alternatives in terms of safety, accuracy, and lethality. As a result, they remain impractical for real-world applications.
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Air is resistant to electricity, requiring high voltage
While it is not possible to shoot electricity from your hand, it is possible to direct electricity through the air. Air is a good insulator at low voltages, but not a perfect insulator. At high voltages, air becomes a conductor.
The electrical current through an object and the electrical resistance of an object are related through Ohm's law, I = V/R. This equation means that for a given applied voltage V, an object with high resistance will only allow a very small electrical current through. Air does not perfectly obey Ohm's law, but it is still considered a non-ohmic material.
The electrical resistance of air is high due to its resistivity, approximately $2\times10^{16}\, \mathrm{\Omega\cdot m}$. There are very few free electrons in the air, in contrast to conductive materials like copper. However, if you inject electrons into the air, its conductivity will increase. If enough electrons are added, the air becomes what we call "plasma."
Common low-voltage batteries do drive electrical currents through the air, but these currents are very weak and dark, relying on background ionization. In contrast, lightning is an example of a strong electrical current passing through the air. This occurs when the cathode becomes hot enough to eject electrons into the air, which then rip off more electrons in an avalanche pattern.
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A laser can create a plasma field to channel electricity
Electrolasers are a type of electroshock weapon that uses lasers to form an electrically conductive laser-induced plasma channel (LIPC). A laser-induced plasma channel relies on ionization, so gas must exist between the electrolaser weapon and its target. When a laser beam is intense enough, its electromagnetic field can rip electrons off air molecules or any other gas present in between, creating plasma. Plasma forms an electrically conductive plasma channel.
A powerful electric current is then sent down this plasma channel and delivered to the target. This works as a large-scale, high-energy, long-distance version of a Taser electroshock gun. The current sent through the plasma channel is alternating and is sent through a series of step-up transformers, increasing the voltage and decreasing the current. The final voltage may be between 108 and 109 volts.
The use of electrolasers has been studied for various applications. For example, during a thunderstorm, an electrolaser can be used to make lightning discharge at a safe time and place. It can also be used to direct atmospheric lightning to a terrestrial collection station for electrical power generation. In addition, there was an unconfirmed report that in 1985, the U.S. Navy tested an electrolaser with targets such as missiles and aircraft.
Research has been conducted to overcome the limitations of the short lifetime and length of plasma channels. One method involves using an external electric field from a high-voltage source, which has been shown to increase the lifetime of plasma channels. Another approach is to introduce a low-energy pulsed electric field from a Tesla coil, which creates a very conductive channel along the laser path, allowing for longer discharges.
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Tasers are a more practical application of shooting electricity
While it is not impossible to shoot electricity, there are several challenges and safety concerns associated with it. Air is highly resistant to electrical current, and for electricity to travel through the air, extremely high voltage is required. This voltage needs to be somewhere between 100 million and 1 billion volts, similar to a lightning bolt. The unpredictability of shooting electricity through the air increases the risk of unintended targets being hit, such as bystanders, objects, or power lines, potentially causing blackouts.
Tasers, on the other hand, offer a more practical and controlled approach to shooting electricity. They utilize electrified prongs attached to a cable that conducts current from the device to the target. This direct contact method ensures that the electricity is delivered to the intended target without the issues associated with trying to shoot electricity through the air.
The Taser's cable and prong design also address the issue of voltage by providing a direct path for the current to flow. This eliminates the need for extremely high voltages, making it safer and more feasible.
Additionally, Tasers are designed to stun and incapacitate individuals without causing lethal damage, which is a more desirable outcome in many situations. Law enforcement and security personnel often prefer non-lethal options to de-escalate situations without resorting to deadly force.
While electrolasers can shoot electricity through the air by first shooting a laser to create a plasma field, they are not widely used for stunning individuals due to safety concerns. The Taser's direct contact method provides more control over the delivery of the electric current, making it a preferred option for practical applications.
In summary, while shooting electricity through the air faces technical and safety challenges, Tasers provide a more practical solution by utilizing direct contact to deliver a controlled electric current, making them effective and widely adopted tools for law enforcement and self-defense.
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Shooting electricity is possible but not in a controlled fashion
A lightning bolt has between 100 million and 1 billion volts, and it travels directly from the thundercloud to the ground with minimal divergence and no interference. Creating such high voltages requires powerful hardware, and even then, it is difficult to control the direction of the electricity. It will likely go to ground as quickly as possible, possibly through the gun or the person firing it.
Additionally, there is a risk of unintentionally shocking bystanders, objects, or power lines, which could cause a city-wide blackout. For a more practical and controlled application of shooting electricity, tasers are commonly used. They employ electrified prongs attached to a cable that conducts current from the gun to the target.
Another device that can shoot electricity is the electrolaser, which first shoots a laser to create a plasma field and then channels electricity through it. While these options exist, they are not as accurate or effective as traditional firearms, which are cheaper, more convenient, and better suited for stunning or killing at both short and long ranges.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, it is possible to shoot electricity, but it is not a practical method for stunning or killing someone as there are much better alternatives.
Regular firearms are more effective at stunning or killing someone than electro-beams.
Electricity follows the path of least resistance and air is very resistant to electrical current. For electricity to travel through the air, it would need to be immensely high voltage.
A lightning bolt has somewhere between 100 million and 1 billion volts.
One can generate a "static" discharge by using two close sharply-pointed electrodes.
