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Re: Charge, what is it?



Tesla List wrote:
> 
> >From lod-at-pacbell-dot-netSun Nov  3 22:00:11 1996
> Date: Thu, 02 Nov 1995 16:18:29 +0000
> From: GE Leyh <lod-at-pacbell-dot-net>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Charge, what is it?
> 
> Richard Hull wrote:
>   It
> > is when we get to the vaccum capacitor and space holding charge that the
> > intuition fails.
> >
> > Where's the Beef!! (or matter or particle or whatever to store charge???)
> >
> > At the core, matter is never needed to store any charge... ever!!!!!
> 
> How are you defining the word 'charge' in this explanation?!?
> By saying that matter is never needed to store charge, you are implying
> that the electron is _NOT_ the indivisible unit of negative electric charge.
> (Electrons are matter, after all).
> 
> Are you suggesting the existence of a particle with zero mass and unit charge?
> What a fantastic thing to imagine!
> 
> -GL

Greg, 

Matter is needed to separate charge, but not store it.  Space does that 
just fine.  The unit charge of the electron is just a convention which 
ties into all our other stuff regarding electricity.  (makes the 
equations work).  It would be a bit bold to suggest the particle in 
question.  I was wondering, do you have an affinity for particles?  Or is 
it just a hold over from the need to touch and feel something solid. 

 I do not think of charge as a solid.  It may reside in and around solids 
though.  The material particles we know, probably have a natural charge 
about them by virtue of their exisitence.  We imagine the charge to be 
contained within the material particle.  Quantum mechanics on 
Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays wants to look at the electron as just a 
bundle of wierd space which seems to be spinning, has a magnetic moment 
and is charge laden.  All the other times it is as solid as a marble. I 
think it is much wierder than even that.

Richard Hull, TCBOR