In reply to Eric Walker's message of Mon, 25 Jan 2016 22:27:53 -0600: Hi, >Hi Robin, > >I understand you to be suggesting that ions in the air might restore the >state of the Orbo by removing electrons from one plate through >de-ionization.
...and also adding them to the other plate. When an atom is ionized, the free electron has to go somewhere, so it is likely to attach itself to a neutral molecule, forming a negative ion to compensate for the positive ion left behind. Overall the atmosphere should be a dilute mixture of positive and negative ions. >An ion comes along and picks up an electron, becoming >electrically neutral and restoring the original potential by a small amount. > >On Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 8:43 PM, <mix...@bigpond.com> wrote: > >Many of these do not recombine immediately, because dry air is a poor >> conductor. > > >On this theory, would you expect the Orbo to work less effectively in a >humid environment? > >Eric At first blush I might be inclined to say yes, but ions created in the upper atmosphere may be carried to lower levels by precipitation, wind currents, &/or dust, which complicates the picture. Also direct sunlight is not the only source of ions. Background radiation also plays a role, as do extreme electric fields in thunderstorms. Regards, Robin van Spaandonk http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/project.html
