Electrical arc

An electrical arc is a sustained discharge through ionized gas between conductors. It carries current across a gap and produces intense heat and light.

Electrical breakdown: The transition of an insulating material into a conducting state under a strong electric field. Breakdown initiates the conductive path across a gap where an arc can form.
Arc welding: A welding process that uses an electric arc to melt and join metals. The arc supplies concentrated heat to fuse a joint.
Electric current: The rate at which electric charge flows through a material or circuit. Current through the plasma sustains heating and particle ionization.
Electrical spark: A brief electrical discharge through a gas, often produced by breakdown across a small gap. A spark is transient, whereas an arc remains conducting for longer.
Paschen's law: A relation predicting gas breakdown voltage from the product of gas pressure and electrode separation. It estimates the voltage needed to initiate discharge across a gas-filled gap.
Electric arc furnace: An industrial furnace that melts material using electric arcs between electrodes and a charge. It uses arc heat to produce steel and other high-temperature melts.
Electric field: A physical field that exerts force on electric charges. The field accelerates charged particles between the conductors.
Corona discharge: A partial electrical discharge around a conductor in a strong electric field, without bridging the full gap. Corona surrounds an electrode rather than forming a conducting bridge between conductors.
Plasma: A state of matter containing mobile charged particles that respond collectively to electromagnetic fields. An arc is a narrow, hot plasma channel linking its electrodes.
Carbon arc lamp: A lamp that produces light from an arc between carbon electrodes. It is an early practical application of arc light.

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