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Cellphones At Gas Stations
Can Using A Cellphone At A Gas Station
(Petrol Pump) Cause An Explosion?
If you own an
automobile and happen to frequent gas stations (petrol pumps) quite often, you
have almost certainly come across warning signs in those particular spots.
Aside from
prohibiting smoking, these bills often advise you to keep your cellphones switched
off, and some may even suggest that the use of cellphones can cause an
explosion at the gas station.
Is there any
truth in that? Can using a cellphone at a gas station cause an explosion?
Why are we told
to switch off cellphones at a gas station?
In order to
figure out if using cellphones at a gas station is dangerous or not, it’s
important that we first understand the reason behind this omnipresent warning.
Cellphones:
Wireless devices that communicate with network towers
Although this may
seem like a silly question to start with, it’s important, so … what is a
cellphone exactly?
A cellphone is a
wireless tool that keeps you connected to the entire world, but how does it do
that, you may ask?
It’s such a cute
little device, but as they say, appearances can be deceiving.
Under their thin
external skin, cellphones contain a myriad of tiny electronic
components that help them communicate with network towers wirelessly.
Even
though there are no wires involved, there is still an exchange of
information between your cellphone and the network tower? How does that happen?
Electromagnetic
Radiation
The two-way
communication between your phone and the network tower takes place through
electromagnetic waves – invisible waves that race to the network tower and return
to your phone in seconds!
These waves have
energy values in the range of 1.24 Megaelectron-Volts to 12.4 Peta-electron-volts.
It is assumed
that this electromagnetic radiation is a cause of concern; because they carry
so much energy, they may cause sparks and consequently ignite gas, which could
cause monumental damage in a place like a gas station!
Can cellphones
really cause explosions at a gas station?
As far as science is concerned, there is no
documented connection between explosions at gas stations and the use of
cellphones.
In fact, according to a study carried out at
gas stations all over the world between 1994 and 2005, in all the cases of
gas station fires, none were related to cellphones.
Mobile phones have low-voltage batteries that
are not ‘potent’ enough to ignite a spark at a gas station.
A probable cause
of fire (related to a cellphone) may be a defective battery in a phone.
However, that is
very unlikely, as there is a much smaller chance of you using your phone
if it has a defective battery!
Also, if we’re
talking about defective batteries, then not only your phone, but even your
vehicle’s battery, could be defective and potentially cause a fire.
A Word of Caution
Using a cellphone
at a gas station, even if it doesn’t cause a fire, is still not a healthy
practice.
You may not
realize it, but using your phone (talking, texting, or merely skimming through
notifications) may distract you and potentially cause accidents, such as being
hit by another vehicle or running over pedestrians etc.
It may not seem
like it, but putting gas in your vehicle is an important task that requires
your undivided attention.
Therefore, it’s
in your own best interest that you put your phone away for a few moments and
keep yourself safe from any nasty accidents.
Ashish is a Science
graduate (Bachelor of Science) from Punjabi University (India). He spends a lot
of time watching movies, and an awful lot more time discussing them. He likes
Harry Potter and the Avengers, and obsesses over how thoroughly Science
dictates every aspect of life… in this universe, at least.
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