# Use the earth's electrostatic field to charge a car battery? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 29, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359 "2003-05-29T20:40:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnmuslelewicz_yahoo.com)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/21 "2018-08-10T21:48:45Z")
This thread goes back before galaio brainac. ---
**Author:** ![johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnmuslelewicz_yahoo.com)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/22 "2018-08-10T22:00:47Z")
And your science project can be better improved buy using copper clamps Pure copper clamping the fibre glass strap to both the battery and the sheet. Your battery might charge in no time, but like I stated use safety equipment, nature can pop thst thing like that leaving you with hell for acid burns. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/23 "2018-08-10T22:13:32Z")
> [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](#): > > And your science project can be better improved buy using copper clamps > Pure copper clamping the fibre glass strap to both the battery and the sheet. Your battery might charge in no time, but like I stated use safety equipment, nature can pop thst thing like that leaving you with hell for acid burns. You’re new here, so let me explain. This particular forum is for posting factual information. When people post nonsense, the usual response is “cite?”, which means you need to show your work. So, cite? ---
**Author:** ![johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnmuslelewicz_yahoo.com)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/24 "2018-08-10T22:18:52Z")
I am curious though on the negative responses. What are your qualifications for your negativity? Do you have anything but your mouths to back yourselves? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/25 "2018-08-10T22:19:49Z")
I have basic math on my side. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnmuslelewicz_yahoo.com)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/26 "2018-08-10T22:21:01Z")
Mouth? Do you have more than a mouth to back your opinions? What are your qualifications? ---
**Author:** ![johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnmuslelewicz_yahoo.com)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/27 "2018-08-10T22:25:29Z")
An basic math says a copper wire abput a 1/16th inch in diameter has 20 amps. So your math fails you. ---
**Author:** ![johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnmuslelewicz_yahoo.com)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/28 "2018-08-10T22:28:59Z")
Fibreglass carries thousands of volts. Your math fails you again. So any other impressive qualificatuons? Policeman? Garbage collector? Checkout clerk? Bum panhandling? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/29 "2018-08-10T22:36:32Z")
> [@dylan\_73](#): > > Hmm…OK. Well, what if I built a space elavator. Any chance that would be big enough to get enough power to run it? n theory, a space elevator could produce a fair amount of electricity. Enough to run it? Who knows – as nobody has yet been able to build one, nobody knows how much electricity it would take to run. But it would need some powerful surge protectors built in. It’s a miles-high lightning rod. It would be hit by lightning frequently, and those are pretty massive surges of electricity. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/30 "2018-08-10T22:36:56Z")
> [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](#): > > An basic math says a copper wire abput a 1/16th inch in diameter has 20 amps. So your math fails you. Wires don’t “have” amps. ---
**Author:** ![johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnmuslelewicz_yahoo.com)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/31 "2018-08-10T22:44:09Z")
Besides use your head. The basic math is earth (-); iron/sheetmetal (-). What happens when a battery is placed between two negatives? Thats basic math. ---
**Author:** ![johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnmuslelewicz_yahoo.com)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/32 "2018-08-10T22:45:42Z")
Of course they do. They dont have potential. ---
**Author:** ![johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnmuslelewicz_yahoo.com)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/33 "2018-08-10T22:54:31Z")
Hey. ill bet this is where the soviets, syrians, north koreans and irainians learned their science. Ha ha! North korea build a missle with a nuke? ROTFLMAO! ---
**Author:** ![johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnmuslelewicz_yahoo.com)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/34 "2018-08-10T22:55:42Z")
They are the jokesters of the 21st century. North korea? Gotta paper weight? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/35 "2018-08-10T22:58:07Z")
Are scalar weapons for real? ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/36 "2018-08-10T23:06:50Z")
> [@ohiomstr2](#): > > I am no physicist but isn’t this what Tesla was trying to do? It actually was [Mahlon Loomis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahlon_Loomis) who proposed drawing large amounts of electricity from the atmosphere. In contrast, Telsa proposed that the power generated by conventional electrical power plants could be transmitted wirelessly. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/37 "2018-08-10T23:16:50Z")
Suppose you had superconducting wires. Would that make a difference? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/38 "2018-08-10T23:59:51Z")
> [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](#): > > I am curious though on the negative responses. What are your qualifications for your negativity? Do you have anything but your mouths to back yourselves? > [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](#): > > Fibreglass carries thousands of volts. Your math fails you again. So any other impressive qualificatuons? Policeman? Garbage collector? Checkout clerk? Bum panhandling? **Moderator Note** First, dial back the snark. Second, if you wish to be taken seriously on this site, you need to start showing your own math, since you are the one advancing these arguments. Stating that you are “a professor” doesn’t carry a lot of weight here, since dozens of the regular posters in this forum have doctorates or other advanced degrees (including actual rocket scientists, astrophysicists, and others). Colibri General Questions Moderator Ph.D. ---
**Author:** ![johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnmuslelewicz_yahoo.com)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/39 "2018-08-11T00:13:33Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > You’re new here, so let me explain. > This particular forum is for posting factual information. When people post nonsense, the usual response is “cite?”, which means you need to show your work. > > So, cite? I did try but either the forum or my smartphone wont allow picture’s here. But I just did a experiment using iron and electricity that showed iron produced a negitive flow due to it lack of positivity of electrons. Zinc and copper produced positive flows. And then theres always the perodic table. It kinda shows it there fpr the farm boys. The professor P.S. (Feel free to bow down before my signifigance) Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359/40 "2018-08-11T00:21:42Z")
> [@johnmuslelewicz\_yahoo.com](#): > > I did try but either the forum or my smartphone wont allow picture’s here. But I just did a experiment using iron and electricity that showed iron produced a negitive flow due to it lack of positivity of electrons. Zinc and copper produced positive flows. And then theres always the perodic table. It kinda shows it there fpr the farm boys. > > The professor > > P.S. (Feel free to bow down before my signifigance) > > Thanks! Well, you clearly aren’t a Professor of English… All electrons lack “positivity” - that’s their nature. they are carriers of negative charge. And, once again, if you are thinking about batteries, which use chemical reactions to create electron flow (current), that is irrelevant to the discussion of harvesting current due to atmospheric potential differences due to height above the ground. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-the-earths-electrostatic-field-to-charge-a-car-battery/178359.md?page=3)