Arc duration Of silver contacts was measured with fixed short gap under the condition of different constant gaps and different constant currents, which are close to the minimum arc current of the contact material. The results indicated that the arc occurred even at the current less than the minimum arc current. The arc duration varies in different operations at the same testing condition and it distributes exponentially in the time range up to 100 microseconds. The time constant tau and the extinction rate lambda of the distribution were calculated, and related to the arc current. It was assured by silver electrode arc that, even below the so-called minimum arc current, arc ignition may occur but, in this case, the arc duration is momentary, and, as the arc current decreases, the arc extinction rate becomes large.