HAZARDS OF ELECTROSTATICS

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Lightening It is common to see flashes of lightning just before and during a thunderstorm. This is because a large quantity of electric charge is built up in heavy thunder clouds. The thunder clouds are
charged by friction between the water molecules in the clouds and the surrounding air molecules. When the charge in the thunderbolt is sufficiently large, it can ionized the air which then provides a conducting path for the huge quantity of charge to be discharged to the nearest and sharpest object on the ground. This explains why it is dangerous to swim in the open sea, play in the open field or stand under a tall tree when there is a thunderstorm.
To prevent lightening from damaging tall buildings, lightening conductors are used. A lightening conductor consists of a sharply pointed metal rod or spikes attached to the highest point of a tall building structure. The lightening conductor is joined by a thick strip of copper cable to a copper plate buried in the ground beside the building. When a negatively charged thunder cloud passes over a tall building, the sharp points on the spike in a lightening conductors gain induced positively charged ions. The air around the spikes is further ionized due to point action leading to the production of an avalanche of positive ions. These new positive ions neutralize some of the negative charges of the cloud and reduce the possibility of lightening. However if lightening occurs and it strike the building, the negatively charged electrons in the thunder cloud are attracted to the positively charged spikes and are carried harmlessly down to the earth through the conducting copper cables. WAEC and JAMB candidates must understand the hazards of electrostatics.
Fires and explosions
Excessive build up electric charges by friction can also cause fires and explosions. For example, electric charge scan accumulate on, an aircraft during its flight and on trucks transporting flammable liquids. Some preventive steps may be taken to avoid such hazards. In the case of the aircraft, the tires are made of slightly conductive rubber so that the large amount of accumulated charge built up on the body of the aircraft during its flight is discharged harmlessly during touchdown. Trucks that transport flammable liquids usually have conducting strips that hang from their bodies. These strips come into contact with the road surfaces and carry away any excess charge accumulated on the trucks to the earth.
Application of electrostatics
Flue ash removal
One important application of electrostatics is the removal of flue ash (a mixture of dust and ash particles). From modern coal fire powered stations by means of an Electrostatics precipitator. If the flue ash is not removed, it will discharge into the atmosphere causing serious air pollution. Electrostatics are also used in High voltage generators and in spray painting. Share.