4 ms·
arcing involves ionizing air, right? I would have expected that the breakdown voltage of air increases with altitude, due to decreasing density of air.
by gugagore 5y ago
arcing involves ionizing air, right? I would have expected that the breakdown voltage of air increases with altitude, due to decreasing density of air.
- kalnins 5y agoI would guess that it could be due to having more ions in air due to higher radiation levels.
- labawi 5y agoIt's actually the opposite (to a point, I think). Higher mean free path means more time to accelerate, then hit and ionize something else. That's how fluorescent tubes maintain discharge a meter long at measly voltages. Radiation doesn't help either, as sibling commented - it creates ions making the initial breakdown easier, though it shouldn't make a difference for a continuous flow that involves innumerable ions.
- unixfg 5y agoHere ya go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIqK45nxcTo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIqK45nxcTo He even explained it with balls and magnets!
- layoutIfNeeded 5y agoHave you heard about vacuum tubes?
- mannykannot 5y agoYes, and when the cathode heater burns out, they stop conducting, as they depend on the thermionic emission of electrons (and the absense of gases).