<P> The most spectacular form of ESD is the spark, which occurs when a heavy electric field creates an ionized conductive channel in air . This can cause minor discomfort to people, severe damage to electronic equipment, and fires and explosions if the air contains combustible gases or particles . </P> <P> However, many ESD events occur without a visible or audible spark . A person carrying a relatively small electric charge may not feel a discharge that is sufficient to damage sensitive electronic components . Some devices may be damaged by discharges as small as 30 V. These invisible forms of ESD can cause outright device failures, or less obvious forms of degradation that may affect the long term reliability and performance of electronic devices . The degradation in some devices may not become evident until well into their service life . </P> <P> A spark is triggered when the electric field strength exceeds approximately 4--30 kV / cm--the dielectric field strength of air . This may cause a very rapid increase in the number of free electrons and ions in the air, temporarily causing the air to abruptly become an electrical conductor in a process called dielectric breakdown . </P> <P> Perhaps the best known example of a natural spark is lightning . In this case the electric potential between a cloud and ground, or between two clouds, is typically hundreds of millions of volts . The resulting current that cycles through the stroke channel causes an enormous transfer of energy . On a much smaller scale, sparks can form in air during electrostatic discharges from charged objects that are charged to as little as 380 V (Paschen's law). </P>

Is air as a plasma a conductor or insulator