Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: thedoc on 30/06/2016 06:50:03

Title: Does the Earth have a net electrical charge?
Post by: thedoc on 30/06/2016 06:50:03

Donald piniach asked the Naked Scientists:
   From the Milliken oil drop experiment, small excesses of electrons and their charges could be measured. It would be fantastically unusual if the number of electrons and protons on the earth, sun or galaxy was exactly equal given they were created independently (other than neutron breakdown) after the big bang. Heck even black holes have charge. So does the earth have an excess or deficit of electrons vs protons? And how many, approximately? Any idea if the universe has a charge?
What do you think?

Title: Re: Does the earth have an excess or deficit of electrons?
Post by: chris on 30/06/2016 08:41:07

I don't know the answer to this question but I'll speculate that the Earth as a whole is electrically neutral, give or take. Charge is leaving and arriving all the time owing to interactions with the solar wind, which deluges the planet with charged particles.

What does everyone else think?

Title: Re: Does the Earth have a net electrical charge?
Post by: guest39538 on 30/06/2016 10:10:47

I know light passing through space has no net , I think the Earth has a net charge but the problem is it would be detected as neutral because the equipment for testing was devised in the environment and any setting of 0 would be unknowingly set to the equilibrium.   So in simple terms 0 is not really zero, it is just an equal calibrated to the environment.

Title: Re: Does the Earth have a net electrical charge?
Post by: jeffreyH on 30/06/2016 10:18:52

The universe tends towards balance. This is why symmetries go hand in hand with conservation laws. Charge is no different. While black hole do have a property of charge the more likely metric solutions appear to be uncharged. In other words neutrality wins the day since it is in balance. Others may have different views.