: what is arc flash and why is it so dangerous?
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Air is normally a great insulator, meaning electricity doesn’t want to flow through it.
But how do you explain lightning?
Basically given a powerful enough source of electricity over *here*, and a place electricity wants to go *over there*, the air itself can get ripped apart into a different state and this new state electricity *does* flow through. Hence why lighting can exist, the “path” of lighting is a path of pulled apart air molecules that suddenly conducts electricity like a wire.
Thankfully, it requires an insane amount of energy to do this over long distances, but over small distances, less and less is required. So this is how things like spark plugs on cars work, or those science toys where you see electricity arcing through the air. This process of basically “lightning from our wires” is called “arc flash”.
Your prompt is probably talking about accidental at home arc flashes. These are usually caused by things like old, worn wiring or DIY electrical work. It’s basically a scenario where live wires have their insulation damaged or removed, and electricity is jumping through the air from one wire to another.
Why is it so dangerous –
Because it’s basically creating little bursts of lighting *in your home*. The path of the electricity can be tens of thousands of degrees F which basically means it’ll start fires and burn the shit out of anything in it’s path. You’re basically getting all the joy of a short circuit (massive, rapid flow of electricity) combined with a flame the temperature of the Sun. Electrocuting and burning the living fuck out of anything in it’s path.
EDIT : Why Laypeople Might Care
Recent changes to American Electrical codes require that the circuit breakers in homes all be designed to cut off if they sense arc flashing. So that’s good. Unfortunately electric motors mimic arc flash when they kick on, so things like starting a vacuum cleaner or your computer booting up and trigger the breaker and cut your power. It’s super annoying and people are just starting to complain more and more now that the code is around long enough people are actually moving into or building new homes with the special breaks and noticing the problem.
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