I was trying to find out the cause behind the Explosion at petrol pump due to th

Question

I was trying to find out the cause behind the Explosion at petrol pump due to the Mobile phones but eventually it turns out it is not Radio Frequency which may cause the explosion rather it is totally the static electricity which may cause serious explosion and ignition of vapors, The other reason I found is, due to the spark by the mobile phone battery in case the mobile has fallen out of your pocket and it seems more legit. The second scenario, Its been said that Electromagnetic Waves absorb in liquid across a wide wavelength , is there any possibility that the absorption of radio Frequency in Petrol may cause any explosion ?

My question is, anything can produce Static electricity then why mobile phones are prohibited ? Do they produce more Static Electricity than other equipments ?

Explanation / Answer

There's absolutely no danger from the electromagnetic waves coming from the phone. They are nowhere near powerful enough to heat up the gasoline, much less cause it to explode. They also don't produce more static electricity than anything else.

If there's any part of the phone that's hypothetically "dangerous", it might be the battery, as you say. If the battery happens to fall out, and land precisely (terminals-first) onto a conductive surface, it can create a tiny spark which can ignite the vapors.

There's much more danger from the static electricity from your own body when handling the gas nozzle. The best practice should be to lay one hand onto your car, then pick up the nozzle with the other hand and insert it into your tank. (The same when removing the nozzle)

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