Static Charge & Samples: Exploding Limits

[gareth]

Hi,
How much static charge can you practically impart on a sample before it changes structurally or explodes completely?

e.g. if you had a gold sample of 1cm^3, and you wanted to give each atom an extra electron via elctrostatic charging, would the repulsion of these like forces be too great and destroy the material. In practice what would be achievable in this scenario, 1 extra conduction electron per 1 atom, 1 extra to 1 million atoms etc?

Thanks for the help

 

[cesiumfrog]

How strongly is gold held together? It's fairly straight forward to calculate the repulsive force due to excess electrostatic charge, so you need to know the attractive force. You could estimate that by looking up tensile strength (combined with the atomic density).

 

[charng]

,

I can tell you that the amount of static charge that can be imparted on a sample before it changes structurally or explodes completely depends on several factors, including the material of the sample, its size, and the strength of the electric field applied. In the scenario you described, with a gold sample of 1cm^3, it is highly unlikely that adding one extra electron per atom through electrostatic charging would cause the sample to explode. This is because gold is a highly conductive material and can easily redistribute excess charge without causing any structural changes. However, if the sample was made of a less conductive material, such as a polymer, even a small amount of added charge could cause structural changes or even an explosion.

In practice, the achievable amount of charge that can be added to a sample without causing structural changes or explosions varies greatly depending on the specific material and conditions. It is important to carefully control and monitor the amount of charge being imparted on a sample, as too much charge can be detrimental. In general, it is best to consult with experts in the specific material and field before attempting to add significant amounts of static charge to a sample.