4 ms·

Does anyone understand the microscopic mechanism by which "flying through the air" lead to accumulating static electricity?

burkaman 2y ago
> Any electrically insulated object, including an animal, is likely to accumulate charge as it moves through its environment, via a mechanism known as triboelectrification, or the triboelectric effect. The triboelectric effect describes the phenomenon wherein the separation of two materials formerly in contact with each other results in an anti-symmetrical deposition of charge on their surfaces. Whilst this effect is usually small, with repetition such as when rubbing two materials against each other, significant differences in charge can be created. The same principle applies to animals walking across and brushing past objects in their environment, including friction with the air when in flight. - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.12804 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.12804 (cited in the paper this post is about) From another citation: > The mechanism by which bees gain their charge, however, is not well understood. - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00359-017-1176-6#Sec5 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00359-017-1176-6#... Apparently this happens to planes and helicopters too (https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/november/flight-training-magazine/how-it-works-static-wick https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/november/f...).
- amelius 2y ago
  Does the charge grow indefinitely, or is there some point at which equilibrium is reached?
- bdjsiqoocwk 2y ago
  > The triboelectric effect describes the phenomenon wherein the separation of two materials formerly in contact with each other results in an anti-symmetrical deposition of charge on their surfaces. Does doesn't really explain how it happens, it just names it. EDIT just found this on Wikipedia > The details of how and why tribocharging occurs are not established science as of 2023. So don't talk to me like you know anything. Knowing the name for the thing is not knowing the thing.
  - InitialLastName 2y ago
    It seems to me that, in pointing you at the word for the phenomenon and providing cited quotes describing it as currently understood, GP was more helpful than if they had responded with the honest "no, nobody understands".
    - bdjsiqoocwk 2y ago
      Ok, that's fair, thank you.

burkaman 2y ago

> Any electrically insulated object, including an animal, is likely to accumulate charge as it moves through its environment, via a mechanism known as triboelectrification, or the triboelectric effect. The triboelectric effect describes the phenomenon wherein the separation of two materials formerly in contact with each other results in an anti-symmetrical deposition of charge on their surfaces. Whilst this effect is usually small, with repetition such as when rubbing two materials against each other, significant differences in charge can be created. The same principle applies to animals walking across and brushing past objects in their environment, including friction with the air when in flight. - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.12804 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.12804 (cited in the paper this post is about) From another citation: > The mechanism by which bees gain their charge, however, is not well understood. - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00359-017-1176-6#Sec5 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00359-017-1176-6#... Apparently this happens to planes and helicopters too (https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/november/flight-training-magazine/how-it-works-static-wick https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/november/f...).

amelius 2y ago
Does the charge grow indefinitely, or is there some point at which equilibrium is reached?
bdjsiqoocwk 2y ago
> The triboelectric effect describes the phenomenon wherein the separation of two materials formerly in contact with each other results in an anti-symmetrical deposition of charge on their surfaces. Does doesn't really explain how it happens, it just names it. EDIT just found this on Wikipedia > The details of how and why tribocharging occurs are not established science as of 2023. So don't talk to me like you know anything. Knowing the name for the thing is not knowing the thing.
- InitialLastName 2y ago
  It seems to me that, in pointing you at the word for the phenomenon and providing cited quotes describing it as currently understood, GP was more helpful than if they had responded with the honest "no, nobody understands".
  - bdjsiqoocwk 2y ago
    Ok, that's fair, thank you.