An electric arc is an electrical breakdown of a gas which produces an ongoing plasma discharge, resulting from a current through normally nonconductive media such as air. A synonym is arc discharge. An arc discharge is characterized by a lower voltage than a glow discharge, and relies on thermionic emission of electrons from the electrodes supporting the arc. An archaic term is voltaic arc, as used in the phrase "voltaic arc lamp".
Read more about Electric Arc: History, Overview, Uses, Undesired Arcing, Arc Suppression
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