Most commercial airliners have static dissipaters on their wingtips. These sharp metal spikes extend from the end of each metal wing and point toward the rear of the plane. Suppose a plane had just flown through a negatively charged cloud and acquired a large negative charge. It is now flying through neutral air. Which of the following should you expect to happen near the static dissipaters?
A) Any charge on the dissipaters will flow toward the wings, leaving the dissipaters neutral.
B) A corona discharge at the dissipater tips will spray negative charge into the air.
C) A corona discharge at the dissipater tips will spray positive charge into the air.
D) Nothing, because the air is neutral.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Static dissipaters are designed to mitigate the buildup of static electricity on aircraft by allowing the accumulated charge to gradually dissipate into the surrounding air. When a plane acquires a large negative charge, as in the scenario described, the sharp tips of the dissipaters facilitate a corona discharge, where the concentrated electric field at these points ionizes the nearby air molecules, allowing the negative charge to be sprayed or transferred into the air, thus neutralizing the aircraft's charge over time. This process does not involve the movement of charge towards the wings or the spraying of positive charge into the air, nor does it imply inactivity due to neutral air.

Most Commercial Airliners Have Static Dissipaters on Their Wingtips