One of the video producers here at Discovery forwarded me a link to a car catching fire at a gas pump. In the video you see the guy fueling, getting in and out of his car and talking on his cell phone. Suddenly flames explode from the side of the car.
The culprit is not the cell phone or static electricity or leaving the car running while refueling. It's stupidity.
I offer some enlightenment.
First and foremost, do not leave your car running at the gas pump. Why? Because a running car generates heat and heat can induce the separation of charges in the atoms or molecules of materials.
Separation of charges in the atoms or molecules of materials causes static electricity, an accumulation of charges that desperately needs to discharge. Frequently that discharge feels like a little shock.
But if you're near flammable gasoline fumes, that little charge can spark a flame.
Just look at what static electricity can do to water.
So far, no one has been able to prove that talking on a cell phone will induce static electricity. It seems to be the getting in and out of a car that does it -- an action that separates charges in the same way that rubbing a balloon on your head causes a buildup of static electricity. From my point of view, talking on the cell phone should be avoided because it's distracting you from a task that you really should be paying more attention to.
Lessons for the day: Don't leave your car running while refueling; don't get in and out of your car while you're refueling; and don't pee near party balloons.
Tags: Cars, Electricity, Fossil Fuels, Physics
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