h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Static Electric Discharges and how to prevent them - A3796301
Author: Galaxy Babe - who says crime doesn't pay? - U128652

Put this together after suffering many such "shocks" (now shock-free) so hopefully this little entry will be useful to someone else.

Hi Galaxy Babe!

Good entry - I can sympathise with this entry big-time!

I don't think you should be referring people to an off-site link for the science bit. It needs an explanation in this entry, I think. This is core to what the entry is all about.

Also, the bit about the key frying the electronics, I would give it a brief introduction first, explaining the source and the issue with keys.

Also your headers seem somewhat separated from the main text - maybe you have a few extra 's or tags there somewhere?



Woodpigeon

Hi Galaxy Babe

Yes, I get those shocks too. but only when going shopping and have plastic carrier bags in my left hand and open car door with my right hand. I don't know if that's anything to to with it. To aviod the shock, when I open the car door, I hit the top, where the door opens, apparently that discharges any static electric.

I think it's a great subject for an Entry, but a bit short. Maybe you could include what causes the static electric rather than just add a link.

Emmily

(copying from what Woodpigeon said )

A few GuideML points:

No need for s after Subheaders/Headers

'Single quotes' rather than "double quotes"

Bold or Italic rather than CAPS



Emmily

Wow, this is coincidental, I just spotted this next to my entry on EMC A3684332 which talks about this sort of thing and would compliment it pretty well.

Comments:

It's pretty thin for such a big subject. As mentioned above it could do with an explanation as to why it happens.
The conventional term for the spark is electrostatic discharge (ESD), usually caused by tribocharging.
The entry could say something about materials - e.g. car carpets are often nylon which is one of the worst.
Most electronic devices (i.e. or at least the chips inside) are static-sensitive (like your car key example), and have to be labelled as such and suitably protected. The spark is irritating to people but will completely destroy the tiny transistors on a chip. Technicians have to go to great lengths to ensure they don't build up any charge. This should at least be mentioned.
I'm not too sure about the safety example. Perhaps a better example would be the earth wire you see connected between tanker and aircraft during refuelling, although that maybe outside the 'personal advice' scope of the entry.

Have to get back to work now, but will try to come back with more constructive advice soon...

Something else I've thought of; those rubber strips that touch the ground on the bumper of some cars, are they to do with preventing/discharging static electric.

a bit vague, someone will know more.

Emmily

Timely entry - I'm sick of getting static shocks in my house because slopping around the house in slippers builds up the static. I once had to have an entire office treated as I kept getting static, so I must be prone - or I never pick my feet up properly when I'm walking indoors...

What should I spray in the house to stop me getting static when I touch door handles, table lamps and when I kiss my son? Is it the carpet, or thing things I'm getting static from? If you only want to concentrate on cars, then I think the entry title should reflect this.

The thing about getting static in cars is easily remedied - simply touch the metal of the door before your bum leave the seat - that way you're earthed through the tyres (so I was told) and hey presto! no shock.

The entry you link to about the science seemed a bit boring and long, I must admit (sorry), is there a simpler way to describe it?

I think this is a great start to an entry, but I'm not sure if it's an entry on its own as it is.

The rubber strips I always thought were there to prevent car sickness? Either way if they are supposed to drag on the ground to discharge the static they never seem to - they're always swinging in the breeze when I see them on other cars.

Traveller in Time polishing his car with
"It is not a charge between you and the car, the car and driver have the same charge against earth. This is caused by the wind (and dust) rubbing over the waxed and painted surface of the car. All objects inside the car get this same charge!

The discharge rubber (with cupper braid inside) dangling under some cars is to loose the charge while driving.

If you do not have such discharge strip, you discharge the car yourself in one go. Step out of the car and take care to touch ground with your feet without touching any metal parts. Then step on a wet spot of ground so your feet drain the charge well out of yourt body. Next is to close the door by touching the metal handle There we have our spark.

"

Hmm.
Lightning is static electricity.

I think you should mention that sparks from static electricity can be dangerous when flammable vapours are present (e.g. in hospital operating theatres where ether (anaesthetic) has been ignited by a spark from a patient-transport trolley. If the trolley has insulating rubber tyres it can become electrically charged as a result of friction between the blankets and the plastic sheet on it.

Caused high tech fire alarms to sound in a Hampshire hospital (Jan '97) when nurses shook the bedclothes.

Fine particles of many common materials (coal, sawdust, sugar, metals starch, flour etc) can form explosible dust clouds - ignitable by a static spark (Occurs in factories).

Uses of Static Electricity:

Electrostatic precipitators in coal-fired power stations precipitate coal dust whch would otherwise emanate from smoke stacks at thousands of tons/hour!

The photocopier.

Conjurors (pull a sprig of paper flowers out of a tiny tube, which then expand into an enormous bunch).
Researchers at Southampton University have developed a cockroach trap. It works because cockroaches are electrically charged enabling them to climb on all manner of surfaces by using the static on their feet. The trap sends out pheromones (irrestible sexual attractants) that attract the cockroaches. Once inside the trap, the insect's feet are coated with an anti-static powder that prevents them from climbing out again. (Reported in 'Inventor's World', 1998)



Apparently, in 1778 fashioable Parisien women never went out in windy weather unless they had a lightning rod attached to their hats.

As I have no intention whatsoever of delving into the "science bit" as I a) don't understand it myself and b) don't have the time; I will remove the entry to save the eds the bother.

Thanks for your comments everyone

Traveller in Time on top
" I think the subject does deserve an Entry, it does not have to be technical at all!

It is your 'nontechnical' view that could make this a good piece of work! special for 'nontechnical' readers. Many entries reach an academic level of accuracy so only academics can read it and say 'Ha, interesting work'.

This one has the potential to make them more open for the rest of the world. "

Thank you

Technical I ain't.

I rather liked the entry as it was, it'll still pop up in the search facility so I'm not fussed.

to hear you've removed it from PR Galaxy Babe. I'm not a tech (BigAl is a tech ) would've been nice to have static electric explained in laymans language.

Emmily

Well, I don't think I was asking for a technical explanation. But with a title like 'Static Electrical Discharges - and how to prevent them, I thought one should mention examples where they're a problem E.g. where there are flammable vapours (hospitals), where there is a danger of dust explosions e.g. factories processing sugar, flour, metals, coal etc. I thought the bit about Edwardian ladies was offbeat in the spirit of h2g2 .

Incidentally, the hospial ship Lusitania suffered an absolutely massive explosion when it was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland. The force of the explosion startled even the U-boat commander, and there was speculation that the ship had been carrying explosives. (Not quite 'playing the game' for a hospital ship!) However, recently (last 11-12 years or so, I think) it has emerged that the torpedo probably penetrated the hold ((for carrying its fuel of coal) and this was empty as the ship had just crossed the Atlantic. All that was left was coal dust, and the torpedo set off a massive dust explosion

tech science chemisty have I missed anything

Someone's in a mood.

Emmily

physics (which I'm not), biology (which perhaps I am <electronics (which I'm not) <astronomy (which perhaps I am to an extent - but GB definitely is)...

Hello everyone

I've done a complete rework on this entry, adding stuff you've all suggested, and re-entered it into PR.

F48874?thread=822369

hi mina post7 try putting on a tiny bamboo ring

I just stopped shuffling my feet and picked them up when I walked, and it seems to have stopped. Either that, or our carpet just isn't new enough anymore!