Dangers of Plasma Balls?

The glass doesn't insulate it that much, why else would you be able to light up fluorescent bulbs with them. They actually radiate I bunch of static electricity into the air and is attracted to your finger because you ground better. Also I have experimented on them and the can produce a small arc between your finger and a piece of metal placed on top (don't do this it stinks because of the burning skin).

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AFAIK, any form of electricity in normal circumstances (including static) doesn't radiate. As long as it isn't touching any metal, it'll just sit there like a light bulb, as stated in the posted links. All those fluorescent and cold cathode things people stick in their cases are based on similar principles, they just don't have the visual effects.

sandyduff said:

You do realise you bumped a 6 year old thread...?

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Well, it's apparent (s)he didn't read it to begin with, since every point in his post is refuted or reasoned to be safe in the linked pages... Then again, I've been guilty of replying to old-thread bumps recently, too.

Mmmm Plasma Balls, fun fun!

petteyg359 said:

AFAIK, any form of electricity in normal circumstances (including static) doesn't radiate. As long as it isn't touching any metal, it'll just sit there like a light bulb, as stated in the posted links. All those fluorescent and cold cathode things people stick in their cases are based on similar principles, they just don't have the visual effects.

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I think theres confusion regarding EMR emmisions and static electricity in the post you are responding to. It's not static electricity flow that lights a nearby flourescent to my knowledge, its EMR... The radiation excites particles in the fluorescent, and you get light.

I.M.O.G. said:

I think theres confusion regarding EMR emmisions and static electricity in the post you are responding to. It's not static electricity flow that lights a nearby flourescent to my knowledge, its EMR... The radiation excites particles in the fluorescent, and you get light.

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Yes I'm necroing an old thread to say this

Has no one here heard of capacitive coupling q plasma ball will most likely interfere with electronics and if something metal touches it electricity will be conducted

10 years old... nice!

I am sure it is safe in most cases but I reject the notion that there is no danger at all. Look what happens when you get tin foil near it. Might be a good topic for ElectroBoom.

A plasma globe or plasma lamp (also called plasma ball, dome, sphere, tube, or orb, depending on shape) is a clear glass container filled with a mixture of various noble gases with a high-voltage electrode in the center of the container.

There is electricity and there are noble gases.

It seems that a Plasma Ball would really mess up with the components od the system.