Oh my gosh thank you for this video, im currently studying electrical engineering and i was like 90% sure this is how it all worked. Glad this expanation confirmed it.
@alpachino468 I'm saying how ground works is a common misconception, and I wanted to confirm that my understanding was correct. That's how learning works, you don't just assume you understanding everything you make sure. How is confirming information a bad thing????
A lightning strike happens when there's a charge difference between the earth and a cloud. If the voltage gets high enough, an arc jumps across the gap, there's your lightning. The strike only lasts for a very short time, because the charge difference rapidly disappears. It's like a capacitor being discharged: a surge of current until the capacitor runs out of charge. So this current technically does "disappear" into the ground, because the ground is actually part of the power source. I may make a short video to further clarify this if I have the time
What about Eels? You're swimming in waters - surronded by the same water - yet somehow an eel can electrify you? (I have my thoughts on this, but I wouldn't like to suggest an answer)
as far as I know, these fish can produce a voltage across different parts of their body. Say their head is positive and their tail negative, the current will run from the head, through the water to the tail. If you are also in that water, some of it goes through you. The closer you get to the fish, the more of that current flows through you. The same would happen if you dropped a sufficiently high voltage battery in a tub and went near it.
Very interesting topic. Earth ground, can be a voltage reference. But earth is not a conductor. as such earth is more like the dielectric material of a capacitor. that means it can conduct current. not conventional current but displacement current. I made a video which will most likely will go live this weekend, whereby I measure earth ground currents flowing in and out of a resonant system, using dielectric induction.
How it conducts (and how well) depends on the type of soil/rock. Moist/wet soil in particular can be a good conductor. In suitable places, there even exist power systems that use the soil as a return wire.
@@MasterIvo apparently soil can have typical values from 10-100 ohm-m. Of course it varies greatly depending on moisture content, minerals etc. so lower or higher is also possible. Conductivity of the ground is a very complex topic because there are so many different types of soil/rock, not to mention dependence on moisture and even temperature. Then, there's also the capacitive effect you mentioned, which will also be making matters even more complicated. Also, I'd guess capacitive (reactive) current becomes increasingly prominent the dryer the soil gets, or the more solid rock is involved.
This channel is a gem.
Great stuff hope you make more.
Oh my gosh thank you for this video, im currently studying electrical engineering and i was like 90% sure this is how it all worked. Glad this expanation confirmed it.
Glad I could help!
Bro, you're studying electrical engineering, and you weren't absolutely sure 100% that this is the way it worked? Seriously?
@@alpachino468 notice I said studying as in learning, meaning not an expert. Maybe you should look into what the word studying means.
@@noahdapp8423 Yeah, but this is like the fundamentals, so basically what you're saying is that you haven't learnt 💩yet!
@alpachino468 I'm saying how ground works is a common misconception, and I wanted to confirm that my understanding was correct. That's how learning works, you don't just assume you understanding everything you make sure. How is confirming information a bad thing????
thanks man learnt so much from this
Akio almost goes ElectroBOOM :D
So if lightning strikes a building, does all that electricity get earthed and go back into the grid??
A lightning strike happens when there's a charge difference between the earth and a cloud. If the voltage gets high enough, an arc jumps across the gap, there's your lightning. The strike only lasts for a very short time, because the charge difference rapidly disappears. It's like a capacitor being discharged: a surge of current until the capacitor runs out of charge.
So this current technically does "disappear" into the ground, because the ground is actually part of the power source.
I may make a short video to further clarify this if I have the time
@@AKIOTV thank you for the explanation, you're very knowledgeable!
What about Eels?
You're swimming in waters - surronded by the same water - yet somehow an eel can electrify you?
(I have my thoughts on this, but I wouldn't like to suggest an answer)
as far as I know, these fish can produce a voltage across different parts of their body. Say their head is positive and their tail negative, the current will run from the head, through the water to the tail. If you are also in that water, some of it goes through you. The closer you get to the fish, the more of that current flows through you. The same would happen if you dropped a sufficiently high voltage battery in a tub and went near it.
Very interesting topic.
Earth ground, can be a voltage reference. But earth is not a conductor. as such earth is more like the dielectric material of a capacitor.
that means it can conduct current.
not conventional current but displacement current.
I made a video which will most likely will go live this weekend, whereby I measure earth ground currents flowing in and out of a resonant system, using dielectric induction.
How it conducts (and how well) depends on the type of soil/rock. Moist/wet soil in particular can be a good conductor. In suitable places, there even exist power systems that use the soil as a return wire.
define "good" conductor. 1ohm per 10 meter?
@@MasterIvo apparently soil can have typical values from 10-100 ohm-m. Of course it varies greatly depending on moisture content, minerals etc. so lower or higher is also possible.
Conductivity of the ground is a very complex topic because there are so many different types of soil/rock, not to mention dependence on moisture and even temperature. Then, there's also the capacitive effect you mentioned, which will also be making matters even more complicated.
Also, I'd guess capacitive (reactive) current becomes increasingly prominent the dryer the soil gets, or the more solid rock is involved.
@@AKIOTV yes higher K factor (dielectric constant) of the ground would improve displacement currents