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From: tomb@hplsla.HP.COM (Tom Bruhns)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: St Elmo's Fire - 100 v/m ?
Message-ID: <5170083@hplsla.HP.COM>
Date: 25 Jul 90 16:47:59 GMT
References: <5498.26aba906@cerritos.edu>
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
Lines: 13

>|> potential as the earth.  A foot from your nose, the air is at a potential
>|> of +200V.
>|
>|Just curious...
>|Why can't this be measured with a DVM?

>Because that 10 megohm input DVM is also a much better conductor than air.

>Maybe with something like an electrometer... ??

I believe the folk who measure this (e.g., atmospheric physicists) use
an instrument called a "field mill."  A prof whose office was next to
mine used to build them and drop them through thunder storms.