On Mon, Mar 10, 2014 at 5:00 PM, <mix...@bigpond.com> wrote: > In reply to ChemE Stewart's message of Sat, 8 Mar 2014 17:48:13 -0500: > Hi, > >That one is easy, it's flour power > > :) > > [snip] > >> Normally a charge imbalance arises when different materials are rubbed > >> together. (eg. amber and fur) > >> Since all the grains are made from same the material a charge imbalance > >> should not occur and no voltage should arise > >> ...hence the mystery. > >> > >> harry > >> > > When grains made of long chain molecules rub against one another molecules > can > be broken (this should happen with some plastics too). When a molecule > breaks, > it can either form two neutral molecules, or a pair of ions. The latter > constitute opposing charges on two separate grains (each gets part of the > original molecule). Breaking into two charged ions may be more likely in > molecules containing atoms such as Oxygen which tend to hold onto excess > electrons, thus retaining a negative charge. > Regards, > > Robin van Spaandonk > > http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/project.html > >
Here is another story about the same research. Apparently they detected the same effect with "glass particles". http://www.livescience.com/43686-earthquake-lights-possible-cause.html If ions are formed in the way you describe wouldn't these microscopic charge differences tend to cancel out at the macroscopic level? Harry
