Utsläppsspänningen

Utsläppsspänningen refers to the voltage at which an electrical discharge occurs through a gas. This phenomenon is crucial in various applications, including lightning, fluorescent lights, and spark plugs. The specific voltage required for discharge depends on several factors, most notably the type of gas, the pressure of the gas, and the distance between the electrodes. The breakdown of a gas occurs when the electric field strength within the gas becomes sufficient to accelerate free electrons to energies high enough to ionize gas molecules upon collision. This ionization creates more free electrons, leading to a chain reaction and an electrical discharge.

The Paschen's law describes the relationship between the breakdown voltage of a gas and the product of the gas pressure and the electrode gap distance. This law indicates that for a given gas, there exists a minimum breakdown voltage at a specific pressure-distance product. At very low pressures or very large distances, higher voltages are required to initiate a discharge. Understanding utsläppsspänningen is essential for designing and operating electrical equipment safely and efficiently, as well as for studying atmospheric electrical phenomena.