Wasp spray can tells me “Dielectric breakdown voltage of 47,300 volts”. What are they trying to tell me?
In: Chemistry
A dielectric material is a type of electric insulator. So current can not normally pass thorough it. But if the electric field becomes strong enough it can break down and become conductive. You may recognise this as a spark. Normally this is measured in kV/mm or other equivalent unit. For example air breaks down at 3 kV/mm. This means that two wires that are 5mm apart may hold 15kV before there will be a spark, assuming optimal conditions. The 47.3kV number you quote does not have any distance associated with it. The only thing I can think of is that it might be over the average size of the droplets or something. So it might indicate that it is safe to spray into electrical cabinets.
Latest Answers