Electric arcs can heat the surrounding air to a temperature of around ___°F.

• A. 700
• B. 8,000
• C. 10,000
• D. 35,000

Answer: (D)

Electric arcs generate plasma with extremely high heat, heating the surrounding air to a level that’s thousands of degrees hotter than typical flames. The air right around an arc can reach about 35,000°F (roughly 19,000°C), which is why arc flash safety is so critical. The other numbers are far too low to represent the intense heat produced by an arc. So the best answer is the highest value, reflecting the extreme temperatures involved in an arc.