What creates the heat in electric arc welding?

What creates the heat in electric arc welding?

• A. An electric arc forms between the electrode and workpiece, ionizing the air and producing intense heat that melts both metals.
• B. Friction between electrode and workpiece.
• C. Mechanical impact between metals.
• D. Chemical reaction with oxygen in air.

Answer: (A)

Electric arc welding gets its heat from the electric arc itself. When a voltage is applied between the electrode and the workpiece, electrons jump the gap and ionize the surrounding gas, forming a plasma. This high-current arc concentrates energy into a very small region, and the electrical resistance in the arc and at the metal surfaces heats and melts the metals to create a weld pool. Friction, mechanical impact, or oxidation aren’t the sources of heat in this process; the arc’s electrical energy is what does the melting.

Electric arc welding gets its heat from the electric arc itself. When a voltage is applied between the electrode and the workpiece, electrons jump the gap and ionize the surrounding gas, forming a plasma. This high-current arc concentrates energy into a very small region, and the electrical resistance in the arc and at the metal surfaces heats and melts the metals to create a weld pool. Friction, mechanical impact, or oxidation aren’t the sources of heat in this process; the arc’s electrical energy is what does the melting.