What exactly is the danger with Cell phones and gas pumps? What could possibly go wrong?

Question

What exactly is the danger with Cell phones and gas pumps? What could possibly go wrong?

Answer 1

anything that can cause a spark bring electrical or metal or fire is dangerous around gasoline its one of the most flamable fluid out there last thing you want is that burning

Answer 2

A cell phone is an electrical device. Any time an electrical device is in use there is the potential for a spark.

Gasoline fumes are extremely flammible so you need to decrease any chance of igniting them.

Answer 3

The electrical potential the battery deploys when the phone is in use.  The fear is that the spark it could cause would be enough to ignite any gas fumes and cause an explosion.

As mentioned above, Mythbusters couldn't make it happen.  Even in an enclosed space full of the explosive gas/air mixture a phone didn't provide enough of a spark to ignite it.  They tried various other means of creating the spark and were eventually able to make it explode.  The power required was much more powerful than that of a phone.

To refute the other posts above... gasoline is not at all flamable as a liquid.  It's the vapors that are dangerous.  You can test this at home.  Get a small container and a can of gas.  Pour a little bit of the gas into the contain and IMMEDIATLY drop a lit match into the container.  It will be put out by the gas, not ignite into a ball of explosive death.  CAUTION: The match must be put in immediatly or the fumes will build up and will cause the danger associated with gas.

Answer 4

In addition to all of the above, there is a proven phenomenon called static electricity:

The problem usually occurs after a person has inserted the pump nozzle into the car's filler tube and placed the pump lever on automatic.  What some people have done is go back inside the car and sit in the driver seat (usually to get out of the cold and probably to TALK ON THEIR CELL PHONE). When they get back out of their car the friction from the seat and the resulting walk back to the pump builds an electrical charge. If the first thing they touch is the gas nozzle a spark can ensue and ignite the gasoline vapors that are around the area causing a scary burn. To prevent this you should always touch the car's roof as you egress from the vehicle in order to dissipate the spark further away from the fumes.

A lot of the time people are walking and talking and fiddling about while they are talking on their cell phones and are not paying attention to much else. So, I guess, in effect, this is another danger with cell phones around gas pumps.

Answer 5

Refueling a vehicle with gasoline or natural gas involves pumping a highly volatile liquid - under pressure - from a container into a tank on a vehicle...A cell phone uses radio frequency waves which, under certain conditions, may cause static electricity (sparking)...Since we don't know exactly what those conditions have to be, it is best to have the cell phone turned off until refueling is complete...Remember also that even getting out of your vehicle can cause static discharge from your clothing, especially on a dry day.

Answer 6

An electrical discharge supposedly,  Myth Busters could not get it to do it though.

Answer 7

Soemthing to do with the radio waves not sure exactly.

Answer 8

Although it has been proven that nothing can happen, I found this and thought it might be interesting.

The Shell Oil Company recently issued a warning about three incidents where Mobile Phones have ignited fumes while being answered or ringing during fueling operations.

What specifically happened

Case 1

The phone was placed on the car's trunk lid during fueling, it rang and the ensuing fire destroyed the car and the gasoline pump.

Case 2

An individual suffered severe burns to their face when fumes ignited as they answered a call while refueling their car.

Case 3

An individual suffered burns to the thigh and groin as fumes ignited when the phone, which was in their pocket, rang while they were fueling their car.