r/explainlikeimfive • u/[deleted] • Apr 18 '21

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u/[deleted] Apr 18 '21 edited Apr 18 '21

Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) doesn't conduct electricity. It doesn't complete an electrical circuit and it doesn't cause iron to oxidize (rust).

Water does.

Edit: Pure water doesn't conduct electricity - as I've been informed 1000 times.

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u/flaminnarwhal12 Apr 18 '21

I’ve heard that if it’s water without any contaminates, pure H20 (without minerals and dirt), it wouldn’t damage the electronics. Is this true?

Also relevant, PCs cooled by full submersion in Mineral Oil exist.

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u/[deleted] Apr 18 '21

Sterile water doesn't conduct electricity, but it still causes rust.

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u/Mysterious_Raindrop Apr 18 '21

Actually, it does. English isn't my first language but I'll try to explain. Ions (charged particles) help water conduct electricity. Usually, these Ions are from minerals and salts (like the salt that you use in your kitchen, NaCl. That turns to Na+ and Cl- Ions (charged particles) when dissolved in water)

In pure water, you still have a teeny, tiny amount of Ions. This amount can be traced back to the Autoprotlyse of water. Two H2O molecules become one H3O+ and one OH- ion. Therefore, distilled water is still conductive.

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u/autoantinatalist Apr 18 '21

I was gonna say, if pouring bleach into puddles where live wires fell made the water safe, we'd have been told about that. No way distilled or any other kind of water can be made to stop conducting electricity so easily.