Molly Ayala
Electrical phenomena are commonplace and unusual events that illuminate the principles of physics and electricity. They are a division of electromagnetic phenomena. Examples of electrical phenomena include lightning, bioelectrogenesis, and the photoelectric effect. These phenomena are important to understand as they can have a range of applications, from interpreting groundwater flow to developing new technologies such as tiny batteries and ultra-thin lenses.
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What You'll Learn
Lightning
The formation of lightning is not entirely understood, but several hypotheses have been proposed. One suggests that showers of relativistic electrons are created by cosmic rays and accelerated to higher velocities through a process called runaway breakdown. As these electrons collide with and ionize neutral air molecules, they initiate the formation of a lightning leader. Another hypothesis involves locally enhanced electric fields being formed near elongated water droplets or ice crystals.
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Electric shocks
Electrical phenomena are commonplace and unusual events that can be observed and explained by the principles of the physics of electricity. One such electrical phenomenon is an electric shock, which is the physiological reaction of a biological organism to the passage of electric current through its body.
An electric shock occurs when a person comes into contact with an electrical energy source, and electrical energy flows through a portion of the body. Contact with energised wiring or devices is the most common cause of electric shocks. In cases of exposure to high voltages, direct contact may not be necessary as the voltage may "jump" the air gap to the electrical device.
The effects of an electric shock vary depending on its source and severity. Shocks from light switches may be mild, while contact with industrial power sources can cause severe effects. The type of current (AC or DC), the amount of current (determined by the voltage of the source and the resistance of the tissues involved), and the pathway the electricity takes through the body all play a role in determining the injuries caused by electric shocks. Low-voltage electricity (less than 500 volts) may result in only superficial burns or possibly more severe injuries, depending on the aforementioned factors. Exposure to high-voltage electricity (greater than 500 volts) can cause serious damage, including deep burns.
If someone has experienced a serious electric shock, it is important to call emergency services right away. If it is safe to do so, the source of electricity should be turned off. If not, a non-conducting object made of wood, cardboard, or plastic should be used to move the source away. After removing the electrical source, check the person for a pulse and determine whether they are breathing. If the person has no pulse, begin CPR immediately.
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Electrostatic induction
In non-conducting materials, electrostatic induction can still occur, but the movement of charges is more controlled. In non-conductors, the electrons are bound to atoms or molecules and cannot move freely. When a positively charged object is brought near a non-conductive object, the electrons in each molecule are attracted towards it and move slightly within the molecule, causing a temporary separation of charges. This separation induces a positive charge on one side of the molecule and a negative charge on the opposite side. This effect is responsible for the attraction of small, light non-conductive objects, such as balloons or scraps of paper, to static electric charges.
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Capacitive coupling
Electrical phenomena are commonplace and unusual events that explain the principles of physics behind electricity. Capacitive coupling is one such electrical phenomenon. It is the transfer of energy within an electrical network or between distant networks by means of displacement current.
To reduce coupling, wires or traces are often separated as much as possible, or ground lines or ground planes are run in between signals that might affect each other, so that the lines capacitively couple to the ground instead of each other. In addition, coupling problems can be reduced by increasing the spacing between the aggressor and victim or by shielding the victim with narrow ground lines.
A coupling capacitor's ability to prevent a DC load from interfering with an AC source is particularly useful in Class A amplifier circuits by preventing a 0-volt input from being passed to a transistor with additional resistor biasing, creating continuous amplification. Capacitive coupling decreases the low-frequency gain of a system containing capacitively coupled units. Each coupling capacitor, along with the input electrical impedance of the next stage, forms a high-pass filter. The sequence of filters results in a cumulative filter with a cutoff frequency that may be higher than those of each individual filter.
AC coupling is also widely used in digital circuits to transmit digital signals with a zero DC component, known as DC-balanced signals. DC-balanced waveforms are useful in communications systems since they can be used over AC-coupled electrical connections to avoid voltage imbalance problems and charge accumulation between connected systems or components.
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Electroluminescence
Electroluminescent devices are fabricated using either organic or inorganic electroluminescent materials. The active materials are generally semiconductors of wide enough bandwidth to allow the exit of light. The most typical inorganic thin-film EL (TFEL) is ZnS:Mn with yellow-orange emission. The most common electroluminescent devices are composed of either powder (used in lighting applications) or thin films (used in information displays). Powder phosphor-based electroluminescent panels are frequently used as backlights for liquid crystal displays, providing gentle, even illumination for the entire display while consuming relatively little electric power. This makes them convenient for battery-operated devices such as pagers, wristwatches, and computer-controlled thermostats.
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Frequently asked questions
Electrical phenomena are commonplace and unusual events that can be observed in nature, such as lightning, bioelectrogenesis, and the Biefeld-Brown effect.
Bioelectrogenesis is the generation of electricity by living organisms. An example is the platypus, which uses 40,000 electric sensors on its beak to track prey.
The Biefeld-Brown effect is thought to be an anti-gravity effect and is attributed to electrohydrodynamics (EHD).
Lightning is a powerful natural electrostatic discharge produced during a thunderstorm. It is caused by a buildup of charges in the atmosphere, often near thunderstorms, which results in a bright flash of light and a loud thunderclap.
Electrical phenomena are a subset of electromagnetic phenomena. They are caused by the movement and interaction of electrically charged particles, such as ions and electrons, within an electric field or circuit.
