Does air conduct electricity?

That's how it works with electricity

Electricity means nothing else than that electrons flow between two differently charged poles. In doing so, they always move from the negatively charged pole (which has too many electrons - that's why a charge is ultimately negative) to the positively charged pole.

• So that a current can flow, so-called free electrons must exist. Free electrons are not firmly bound to an atomic nucleus and are mainly found in metals, which is why these are usually excellent conductors.
• There are no free electrons. Does not conduct a substance or only to a very limited extent Dimensions. One then speaks of a non-conductor.

Air does not conduct and that is a good thing

Dry air hardly conducts electricity. This is due to the fact that there are not enough potential charge carriers that could lead to a current flow.

• The fact that air is a non-conductor has many advantages. Otherwise it would not be possible to operate electrical devices, as short circuits would continually occur in the air. Sockets also posed a threat to your physical well-being, as the flow of electricity between the two poles would take place via the room air - in which you were staying.


The electrical resistance of the air - this is what it is like

Air is an excellent insulator, which means that it does not or hardly ...

• Even if air conducts electricity only very poorly or hardly at all, there are ways to improve its conductivity. The simplest method is to add particles such as dust or water droplets to it. Ionization of the air can also turn it into a conductor. This is the case with lightning, for example. Here smaller discharges ionize the air. The actual charge equalization can then take place through this so-called lightning channel.
• Strong currents are generally able to ionize air. This phenomenon is called voltage breakdown. However, you need more than three kV per millimeter of distance to cause such a breakdown.