2006-08-26 17:44:12 · 5 answers · asked by AmigaJoe 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Trick question!!! Yes, current would travel between electrodes in a vacuum given a high enough potential, but no actual arc would be observed as no heating of an intervening medium would occur. Given a high enough current the electrodes themselves might heat up and begin to glow, but again no arc.
I "suppose" that if the current was in the megawatt range that the electrodes themselves might start to disintegrate with molecules of the metal being blasted from the negative surface toward the positive surface and being heated to thousands of degrees thereby glowing and causing the appearance of an arc for some period of time.
2006-08-26 17:50:38 · answer #1 · answered by lampoilman 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Lampoil Man is right.
The electric current will travel given enough voltage, but an arc will not be seen since there is no gas to ionize. The arc is caused by the electric current ionizing the gas molecules. When the electrons recombine with the atoms, they emit a photon. That's what you see as an arc. In a vaccuum, you wouldn't see this.
Lowering the density of the gas in a bulb makes the electrodes last longer, but you still need some gas present to arc.
2006-08-27 01:14:05 · answer #2 · answered by Davon 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it can and it is. It's a good idea if you're using an electric arc deliberately to house it in a vacuum, otherwise the electrodes will burn up quickly.
2006-08-27 01:00:11 · answer #3 · answered by zee_prime 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What a great question. But I dont think so.
2006-08-27 00:55:28 · answer #4 · answered by Jill P 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
me thinks not
2006-08-27 00:54:20 · answer #5 · answered by Patrick Bateman 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋