[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

Re: 50%



At 05:25 AM 11/2/96 +0000, you wrote:
>From music-at-triumf.caFri Nov  1 21:39:38 1996
>Date: Fri, 01 Nov 1996 07:31:53 PST
>From: "Fred W. Bach, TRIUMF Operations" <music-at-triumf.ca>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Cc: music-at-triumf.ca
>Subject: Re: 50%
>
>>Message-ID: <199611010525.WAA02083-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
>>Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 22:25:03 -0700
>>From: Tesla List <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
>>To: Tesla-list-subscribers-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
>>Subject: Re: 50%
>
>   [ snip ]
>
>   Well, indeed, thanks to Richard and Malcolm and others commenting
>   on this thread, I believe I have come to a new realization about
>   the *resistive* or *capacitive* discharge of capacitors.  Funny I
>   can't remember this from college.  We must have covered it....
>
> 
>
>   What a good thread this has been!  My respects to you all.
> 
> Fred W. Bach ,    Operations Group        | Internet: music-at-triumf.ca
> TRIUMF (TRI-University Meson Facility)    | Voice:  604-222-1047 loc 6327/7333
> 4004 WESBROOK MALL, UBC CAMPUS            | FAX:    604-222-1074
> University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., CANADA   V6T 2A3
> "Accuracy is important. Details can mean the difference between life & death."
> These are my opinions, which should ONLY make you read, think, and question.
> They do NOT necessarily reflect the views of my employer or fellow workers.
>
--------------------------------------------

Fred - 

Energy is conserved. Mistakes in capacitor circuit theory and algebra are
the problem. That is why you did not remember it from college. The voltage
across the two capacitors after the reconnection is not V/2. It is V/sqrt2.
This can be easily checked by test and correct algebra. 

The voltage will be a little less than V/sqrt2 because there is some spark
loss in the reconnection. In the test that I made the voltage across the two
capacitors was slightly less than V/sqrt2 because of losses but was still
much more than V/2. Using V/sqrt2 in the equation will give a total of 100%
energy (50% in each) for the two capacitors if the algebra is done correctly.

Jack C.