8.02x - Lect 6 - High-voltage Breakdown, Lightning, Sparks, St-Elmo's Fire
Why Physics Stack Exchange recommends it
Physics Stack Exchange users link it when explaining why charge concentrates at sharp, highly curved points on conductors held at a single potential.
Recommended by 2 people across 2 different months, 2017 to 2025.
What it is
A 53-minute MIT 8.02 electricity and magnetism lecture by Walter Lewin on high-voltage breakdown, lightning, lightning rods, sparks and St. Elmo's fire. It uses live demonstrations and historical examples such as the Hindenburg disaster.
What people said
Recommends Wg Schkzamian Kopantchuk · 2017-07 · Physics Stack Exchange · on “Why is electric field strong at sharp edges?”
Please see: 8.02x - Lect 6 - High-voltage Breakdown, Lightning, Sparks, St-Elmo's Fire by Walter Lewin (MIT) URL: [this video]
Recommends jensen paull · 2021-03 · Physics Stack Exchange · on “Surface charge density on metal plate”
curvature of the surface affects charge density if the surface is in equipotential. walter lewins lectures explain this [this video]
Cites Ofek Gillon · 2025-05 · Physics Stack Exchange · on “Confusion in inner and outer surface of a shell containing a charge”
Charge on conductors don't spread uniformly on the surface, this is a common error - and it is true on spheres. Charges are more concentrated on the places with higher curvature, like sharp edges etc... This is because the thing that actually needs to be constant is the potential, and equipotential doesn't mean equal charge-distribution. Reference for example: the beginning of [this video]