Does electricity leak from an empty plug socket?

Question

Does electricity leak from a switched on household plug socket with no appliance plugged into it?
I realise that air has a very high electrical resistance. I want to know if there is any ionisation or other effects that could be called 'leakage'?
Thanks

Answer 1

There is always a very low concentration of positive and negative ions in the air due to lightning, cosmic rays, and natural radioactivity. The ions make the air slightly conducting, so there is some current always flowing between the contacts. It is virtually unmeasurable, though.

Answer 2

What occurs while the fuse is blown? Does electrical energy nevertheless get used? What occurs once you unplug some thing from the wall? Does electrical energy nevertheless bypass between the openings of the socket? there is not extra probability of enjoyed ones electrical energy flowing throughout the time of the air between the holes interior the socket than there is of electrical energy flowing throughout the time of the air from the potential lines on your place right down to YOU. Air is an insulator and electrical energy demands a conductor. while uncooked electrical energy is waiting to holiday throughout the time of the air (at the same time with lightning), that is because of the fact there is such severe voltage that it may arc between the touch factors. in case you spot arcing occurring on the socket, get out of the homestead NOW because of the fact there is a few thing relatively incorrect with the air interior, because of the fact that 110v isn't sufficient voltage to arc. No, if no longer something is plugged right into a socket, then that is not substantial no rely if the swap is on or off. NO electrical energy is getting used, no longer even a %. watt.

Answer 3

I used to believe the previous answer but I was told by an expert some 4 years ago that the static shocks you get in widely carpeted buildings such as office blocks and hotels comes from tiny leaks from the sockets as described. These are very small but they do build up. So socket covers do actually stop this happening and are always used where there are static sensitive items around.

Answer 4

static electricity is caused by the transfer of electrons from one object to another. Not from electricity leaking from sockets.

Answer 5

No way. The 'dielectric constant' of air is such that it will not pass current at the voltages present in household circuits.
A voltage of 25,000 volts is required to make a spark jump one inch ( 1000 volts per millimetre)