Shocking Discovery That Water Ice Can Produce Electricity, Possibly Explaining Lightning
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Water Ice Exhibits Surprise Electricity: Unpacking Flexoelectricity Discoveries
Discover why scientists now know water ice is not electrically inert and how mechanical bending generates measurable electric currents, potentially explaining lightning formation.
Short Summary
- Scientists discovered ice generates electricity via flexoelectricity when unevenly deformed.
- This effect is universal to dielectric materials, unlike piezoelectricity which requires specific crystal structures.
- Ice displays a peak flexoelectric effect five times higher at cold temperatures ($<160 \text{ K}$) due to surface ferroelectricity.
- This finding offers crucial explanations for charge separation leading to lightning in thunderstorms.
- The discovery suggests cheaper, ice-based electronic sensing materials could be viable in cold environments. This discussion unpacks the breakthrough study demonstrating that common water ice generates electricity when bent, a phenomenon called flexoelectricity. Understanding this explains long-puzzling atmospheric phenomena and opens doors for new, low-cost material science applications in extreme cold.
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Top Comments (10)
In Sibiria, when it´s extremely cold (minus 50 degree Celsius or lower) local people have noticed that when they cut down a tree, there are small blue electric sparks in the air around the tree when it´s falling. Russian scientists have not been able to explain why. I wonder if it maybe has something to do with flexoelectricity?
Water just gets weirder and weirder. Thanks, Anton. That's another good 'un.
In Montana, in glacier national park, after a line storm. It was cold. Very cold. Well below the thermometers low of -60. Because it was negative 60 before the storm hit. And the temperature dropped. All the running engines stalled and a drive shaft snapped. Very Very Very cold. After the air was clear. Ice crystals like a fog floated a few feet off the ground. They were not small crystals. It was like Styrofoam floating on water. But it was crystals floating on dense atmosphere . When you moved through the floating crystals they sparkled with blue light. It was very surreal. We were wearing arctic survival gear. The inner layer of the face mask froze to our skin. It was the most otherworldly experience. Its in my Top 5 life experience.
Physics keeps us from getting bored, and Anton curates it all wonderfully!
Hey Anton! Surprisingly lightning can be generated by liquid water droplets alone. Look up a Kelvin water droplet electrostatic generator. To me it is not surprising that ice can generate a charge when flexed. Water is a highly polar compound. It is also why it is called the universal solvent in chemistry.
First I hear there's 19 different types of ice, now it's ELECTRIC? man, I should be buying more ice trays
I am noticing in the comments how many people are showing a great deal of intelligence tonight believe it is due to your information Anton. We are all learning. Thank you Tom
Technology straight out of the Aquaman movie is not far off now folk, lol.
Artic rail gun tech unlocked
I FIRST noticed this phenomenon while making cocktails in the dark!
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Top Comments (10)
In Sibiria, when it´s extremely cold (minus 50 degree Celsius or lower) local people have noticed that when they cut down a tree, there are small blue electric sparks in the air around the tree when it´s falling. Russian scientists have not been able to explain why. I wonder if it maybe has something to do with flexoelectricity?
Water just gets weirder and weirder. Thanks, Anton. That's another good 'un.
In Montana, in glacier national park, after a line storm. It was cold. Very cold. Well below the thermometers low of -60. Because it was negative 60 before the storm hit. And the temperature dropped. All the running engines stalled and a drive shaft snapped. Very Very Very cold. After the air was clear. Ice crystals like a fog floated a few feet off the ground. They were not small crystals. It was like Styrofoam floating on water. But it was crystals floating on dense atmosphere . When you moved through the floating crystals they sparkled with blue light. It was very surreal. We were wearing arctic survival gear. The inner layer of the face mask froze to our skin. It was the most otherworldly experience. Its in my Top 5 life experience.
Physics keeps us from getting bored, and Anton curates it all wonderfully!
Hey Anton! Surprisingly lightning can be generated by liquid water droplets alone. Look up a Kelvin water droplet electrostatic generator. To me it is not surprising that ice can generate a charge when flexed. Water is a highly polar compound. It is also why it is called the universal solvent in chemistry.
First I hear there's 19 different types of ice, now it's ELECTRIC? man, I should be buying more ice trays
I am noticing in the comments how many people are showing a great deal of intelligence tonight believe it is due to your information Anton. We are all learning. Thank you Tom
Technology straight out of the Aquaman movie is not far off now folk, lol.
Artic rail gun tech unlocked
I FIRST noticed this phenomenon while making cocktails in the dark!