Who here has seen the Avatar series?

"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
06/18/2020 at 15:38 • Filed to: None

There was a Reddit post about redirecting lighting, and how many times it could be theoretically be done consecutively. Just two benders playing catch with lightning as it were. Any thoughts? I had some and even did a few calculations on it! Photo of electrical device (to be posted about later ) for your time.

If we assume the lightning is 1 billion volts, and the atmosphere is measured at 377 ohms, we can assume a voltage drop over a distance between the two benders. But lightning is static electricity, not current (AC or DC) and the atmosphere is more an insulator than a [poor] conductor. Unfortunately, this is where my knowledge and Google-fu hit a wall. I don’t know how to calculate that voltage drop to give you any sort of accurate answer, perhaps someone smarter than myself could calculate it.

However, since lightning is often considered to be around 1 billion volts, we can start making some rough guesses. It is generally accepted that it takes 75,000 volts to jump an air gap of 1 inch, so I’m going to just throw out 18 million as a voltage drop number for a distance of 20 feet between the benders. With these numbers, the lightning could be redirected approximately 55 times before it was unable to jump that gap. (50 times if we add 2 million volts to sustain each bolt like below)

Mind you, this is the most rudimentary calculation possible here and makes a ton of assumptions, but it should give you an idea. Another thing to consider is that “synthetic lightning” with current technology (electrical arcs generated by human-built machines) is nowhere near 1 billion volts. And we have no idea how much voltage a bender’s lightning is.

Personally, I would guess a bender’s lightning to be more like 100 million volts. Then I’m going to assume an extra 2 million volts to sustain the length of the lightning bolt after the initial 18 million volt ionization, for an even 20 million volts per shot. In this scenario, they could only redirect it approximately 5 times.

O bviously this is all assuming the benders don’t/can’t add voltage as they go

DISCUSSION (28)

HammerheadFistpunch > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/18/2020 at 15:48

So this has one glaring question that needs to be asked: H ow is the lightning generated? You have to assume a person capable of redirecting lightning would also be able of creating said lightning, in which case each pass could also include a re-amplification effect.

Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/18/2020 at 15:52

Oof, Kinja mobile just ate my post, but to summarize: is there enough time to go from channelling to redirection, or would you need a third bender to make a “triangle”?

For some reason, it seemed like redirection had a capacitor effect (charge/buildup and release, as opposed to an instant redirection).

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > HammerheadFistpunch
06/18/2020 at 15:53

One of them would indeed generate the lightning. Have you seen the show? It’s amazing. Although I guess you could have one person generate the lightning and two others playing catch.. . And my last sentence mentioned I was assuming they weren’t amplifying the voltage.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/18/2020 at 15:53

I have not, but that’s a sizable BLDC motor.

HammerheadFistpunch > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/18/2020 at 15:57

I finished it a week or so ago, my daughter about a month ago and my wife and I are going through it again (slowly)

tpw_rules > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/18/2020 at 15:58

You have to remember that the 18 million volts will only be required to start the arc. Once it gets going, and the air ionizes and turns to plasma , the voltage required will drop by orders of magnitude. Arcs have the weird characteristic of negative resistance: the more current flows through them, the less the voltage across them .

My googling suggests that while it takes about 75kV/inch to start an arc, it’s only something like 100V/inch to sustain it in good conditions . This would mean they could redirect the bolt 100MV - x*(100V/in *20ft *12in/ft ) = 75kV/in*20ft*12in/ft -> x = 3,416 times before they didn’t have the 18MV necessary to start another arc.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
06/18/2020 at 15:59

I think so, they sometimes seem to hold it for a second before releasing. I don’t think it would be any faster than volleying a tennis ball. But a third bender should work the same.

A capacitor is just a storage device, it doesn't amplify voltage on it's own. I don't think there is inherently any increase in power from redirection. I'll use Zuko as an example. He can't generate his own lightning, but can redirect.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja:
06/18/2020 at 15:59

Only 48v though.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > tpw_rules
06/18/2020 at 16:04

I had considered that, but then wondered if the air would remain ionized between 'throws'. How quickly does it lose ionization? To me it seems like each throw is a new arc, as each bender would be taking the lightning, as if into a capacitor, then releasing it again. But I have absolutely zero experience in atmospheric sciences so I have no idea.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/18/2020 at 16:07

The Last Air B ender or Legend of Kora? I don’t remember this.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/18/2020 at 16:10

Not if you send 96v to it it isn’t. ;)

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
06/18/2020 at 16:11

Not korra, that show is inferior, still good, but not as good. In the original, Prince Zuko redirects lightning at least once. There's a whole scene where Iroh teaches him how.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja:
06/18/2020 at 16:13

While that does sound fun, it would take either a janky setup or some control unit wizardry to achieve in any useable way.

tpw_rules > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/18/2020 at 16:19

The voltage is what starts the arc, but it doesn’t consume energy. The bender would have to create an 18MV voltage difference, but no current would actually flow. Once the arc struck and ionization occurred, the voltage would rapidly drop, the current would flow, and the other guy would get charged up to (if the first guy was charged to the full 100MV), 100MV - 100*20*12 = 99.976MV. Then he has enough voltage to start an arc again.

Assuming the ionization does not linger, o nly once the last dude is charged up to below 18MV is there not enough voltage to throw it back. In “reality” the air would still be pretty ionized and the voltage could drop a lot lower before the party stopped. Plus the voltage wouldn’t drop instantly from 75kV/in to 100V/in so more energy would be lost in the arc and the receiver would get charged less. But there’s no doubt in my mind that thousands of throws could be done.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/18/2020 at 16:20

https://nucular.tech/

http://www.sabvoton.net/

ETC

;)

3point8isgreat > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/18/2020 at 16:53

Just finished this with the wife, my 2nd time seeing the series. IT’S SO GOOD THOUGH. It’s fun watching someone go from skeptical of it because it’s a Nickelodeon kids show, to being completely into it.

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/18/2020 at 17:00

I thought lightning was 1.21 gigawatts...

Kinja'd!!!

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > tpw_rules
06/18/2020 at 17:07

I would like to know the rate of decay of ionization and time between throws. That seems to be what will make the difference here . I would guess each bender holds the charge for about 2 seconds.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja:
06/18/2020 at 17:08

problem is I won't get paid to go that far. I just fix 'em!

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > 3point8isgreat
06/18/2020 at 17:09

Probably my favorite series. I can't even think of what I would put anywhere close to it.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120
06/18/2020 at 17:13

Great Scott! You’re right Marty!

Though actually 1 gigawatt is equivalent to 1 billion volt amperes. So really, what's the difference?

RacinBob > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/18/2020 at 17:17

Some time duration pictures from high school

This is a raw version. what I am wondering is was that dirt on the film? Or is it microbursts that were caught in my 30 second exposure. I touched them up but have to wonder whether is was something not visible to the eye. Blown up it doesn’t look like dust....

Kinja'd!!!