An Electric Lesson

[cowboydoc]

Glenn,
Well there's on theory out the window. I take 2000 mg of vitamin C a day and I've got poison ivy!!

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

As I recall from the 60's, free radicals wouldn't have anything to do with electrons or other negatives except while under the influence of medications having nothing to do with vitamin C.
And who you calling an old geezer, anyway.

Charlie Iliff

 

[ddl]

I don't think we are disagreeing at all. The disussion of current flow being from neg. to pos. or pos to neg is also never ending until you ask them if they calculate voltage and use current and it flows from neg to pos, why do you not use the negative current since it would be. Most people just forget the minus and do the calculation as if current does flow from pos to neg. From my physics classes, i use the idea that charge flows from a high potential to a low potential and the high potential my be caused by either a positive or negative force. All circuits are easy to explain if you follow this thought. About textbooks, you can select textbooks that use electron flow or conventional current flow. Which is right and if one is right , why do they sell so many of the other? Just some thoughts.

Dan l

 

[heehaw]

i'm really enjoying this post, even though i plan to stay out of the serious parts of it, except to say i am surprised no one has brought up "holes/hole flow"?? i figured out the shortage of electricity, to many folks are using 220v equipment, which doesn't send the electricity back down the return line when your finished with it..220v equipment messed up the "whole" thing./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
heehaw

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Dan

Just a couple more quick questions:

Do I understand correctly that there is some disagreement among the experts (text book authors) as to what electricity actually is?

If no electrons are moving down the wire, what causes the spark of light on a spark plug? I always assumed it was electrons jumping the gap. Is the charge in the wire somehow releasing electrons from the posts?

SHF

 

[Gomez]

Hmmm. This could explain why most Electrical Engineers are the way they are.

(Zipped wav file)

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Dan: re your rhetorical question:

About textbooks, you can select textbooks that use electron flow or conventional current flow. Which is right and if one is right , why do they sell so many of the other? Just some thoughts.

I suppose the philosophical answer is that neither is right and neither is wrong. Both reflect attempts to devise language to describe physical phenomena, and they employ mathematical models to predict electrical performance. It does impose the requirement of determining which convention(s) are being used in a particular project, however. Otherwise, components purchased at Radio Shack in blister packs may let their allotment of smoke out and you have to go buy some new ones with fresh smoke.


Charlie Iliff

 

[john4nh]

I thought I would pass this along. I just got out of a weekly meeting (SHELL OIL COMPANY) todays topic was about eletrical safety. They also touched on at home situations. They said that a breaker you buy or comes with your home is only guaranteed one trip from the factory. Of course how many of us has ever replaced one that has tripped once and was able to be reset. This is off subject but none the less I thought interesting. Just curous if the experts on this board have ever heard of this?

 

[ddl]

What causes the spark is the energy level difference. The spark is actually "burnt air" or the trail the charge took. For every amount of charge, you have a set amount of electrons. Most of the time it is like who came first, the chicken or the egg. The real question is doe it matter. No for wheather you use electrons or charge, the result is the same, just makes interesting discussion.

Dan L

 

[ddl]

Very well said

could not have said it better

I was in a class once where the instructor tried to tell everyone that the antistatic bags that parts come, must be turned over at the end and stapled shut or else static charge would crawl into the bag and damage the part. I do not think he has figured out why I laughed so hard when I heard that one.

Dan L