Electrical phenomena

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Electrical phenomena are commonplace and unusual events that can be observed which illuminate the principles of the physics of electricity and are explained by them. Electrical phenomena are a somewhat arbitrary division of electromagnetic phenomena.

Some examples are

  • Biefeld–Brown effect
  • Contact electrification — The phenomenon of electrification by contact. When two objects were touched together, sometimes the objects became spontaneously charged (οne negative charge, one positive charge).
  • Electroluminescence — The phenomenon where a material emits light in response to an electric current passed through it, or to a strong electric field.
  • Electrical conduction — The movement of electrically charged particles through transmission medium.
  • Electric shock — Physiological reaction of a biological organism to the passage of electric current through its body.
  • Ferroelectric effect — The phenomenon whereby certain ionic crystals may exhibit a spontaneous dipole moment.
  • Galvanic current — Direct Current or "continuous current"; The continuous flow of electricity through a conductor such as a wire from high to low potential.
  • Lightning — powerful natural electrostatic discharge produced during a thunderstorm. Lightning's abrupt electric discharge is accompanied by the emission of light.
  • Photoconductivity — The phenomenon in which a material becomes more conductive due to the absorption of electro-magnetic radiation such as visible light, ultraviolet light, or gamma radiation.
  • Photoelectric effect — Emission of electrons from a surface (usually metallic) upon exposure to, and absorption of, electromagnetic radiation (such as visible light and ultraviolet radiation).
  • Piezoelectric effect — Ability of certain crystals to generate a voltage in response to applied mechanical stress.
  • Pyroelectric effect — The potential created in certain materials when they are heated.
  • Static electricity — Class of phenomena involving the imbalanced charge present on an object, typically referring to charge with voltages of sufficient magnitude to produce visible attraction (e.g., static cling), repulsion, and sparks.
  • Sparks — Electrical breakdown of a medium which produces an ongoing plasma discharge, similar to the instant spark, resulting from a current flowing through normally nonconductive media such as air.
  • Telluric currents — Extremely low frequency electrical current that occurs naturally over large underground areas at or near the surface of the Earth.
  • Triboelectric effect — Type of contact electrification in which objects become electrically charged after coming into contact and are then separated.
  • Whistlers[1] — Very low frequency radio wave generated by lightning

  1. ^ Altair's site on Natural Radio Signals

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