Why does electric discharge occurs at low pressure?

Actually electric discharge takes place at low pressure because a small electric field is required. We know that at high altitude, pressure is very low with respect to low altitude for some electric field set – up in the atmosphere, the electron discharge takes place at high altitude but not at low.

What are the conditions required to observe the electrical discharge through gases?

Due to the electric field, the gas gets ionised, releasing electrons which move towards the anode, thus constituting the electric current. A low pressure is required as at high pressure the movement of the electrons will be retarded due to collisions with the molecules/atoms of the gas.

What is an electrical discharge in the atmosphere?

An atmospheric pressure discharge is an electrical discharge in air at atmospheric pressure. An electrical discharge is a plasma, which is an ionized gas. Recombination events are proportional to collisions between molecules and thus to the pressure of the gas.

Which of following is produced when electrical discharges pass through oxygen in air?

Ozone
4 Ozone. Ozone (O3), a powerful oxidizing agent, can be produced by passing an electric discharge through a stream of air or oxygen.

Why does electric discharge takes place at low pressure and high potential difference?

Low pressure means that less number of gas molecules is present in the discharge tube. Moreover, high voltage increases the kinetic energy of the electrons which in turn increases the probability of removal of electrons form the gaseous molecules.

Why are gases used under low pressure?

High pressure means more number of gas particles. More number of gas particles leads to increased number of collisions with ejected electrons(contained in the cathode rays). This decreases the energy of the electrons and hampers the experimental observations. So, a low pressure gas is used in a cathode ray experiment.

Can electricity travel through gases?

In short, gases can conduct electricity, but they are considered insulators for the most part. Gas on its own cannnot conduct electricity but it can be made to conductor electricity by subjecting it under LOW PRESSURE and HIGH VOLTAGE.

Can electric current flow through gas?

Originally Answered: Can Electricity pass through gas? Yes, if the voltage is high enough to ionize the gas, then a circuit can form through it. Examples include fluorescent lamps, high pressure sodium lamps, mercury vapour lamps, neon lights.

Can atmospheric electricity be harnessed?

A company called SEFE says that it will soon be able to generate a limitless supply of renewable energy by converting static electricity from the atmosphere into direct current. Over the years (famously beginning with Nikola Tesla) there have been many attempts at harnessing this latent energy for practical use.

Why an electric discharge does takes place at low pressure and high potential difference?

What are types of electrical discharge observed in the mesosphere?

Odd electrical discharges akin to lightning, called “sprites” and “ELVES”, occasionally appear in the mesosphere dozens of kilometers (miles) above thunderclouds in the troposphere below. The stratosphere and mesosphere together are sometimes referred to as the middle atmosphere.

Why does electric discharge take place at low pressure?

Actually electric discharge takes place at low pressure because a small electric field is required. We know that at high altitude, pressure is very low with respect to low altitude for some electric field set – up in the atmosphere, the electron discharge takes place at high altitude but not at low. 16.

Why current does not flow through the discharge tube?

When the gas atoms in the discharge tube are at atmospheric pressure they collide with the electrons preventing them from reaching the anode. As no electrons reach the anode no current flows through the discharge tube. When the gas pressure is very low there are few gas atoms in the discharge tube.

Why does gas conduct electricity at very low pressure?

When the gas pressure is very low there are few gas atoms in the discharge tube. As such there is no hindrance to the movement of electrons and the gas conducts electricity.

What happens when electricity is passed through a gas?

At a pressure of about 100 mm of Hg, the discharge of electricity through the gas begins and irregular streaks of light appear, accompanied by a crackling sound. As the pressure is reduced to the order of 10 mm of Hg, the irregular streaks broaden out into a luminous column extending from the anode, almost upto the cathode.