Re: Sparks (and ions)

["Ludwik Kowalski" <KowalskiL@Mail.Montclair.edu>]

Ed Schweber wrote:

>   Having started this thread perhaps I can have the temerity to chime
in for
> a third time.  .....
>
> ....   I agree with James, there seems to be no clear path that an ion
can
> follow from foot to finger. The ion might diffuse through some
membranes,
> but that would take a long time (although its also clear that I
originally
> used electron flow far too loosely). ....

I find all contributions to this thread be highly interesting and
informing.
Here is a question. The distance between the battery and the light ball
is L.
The ideal switch  at the battery end (switching time is zero) is turned
on.
At some later time t1 current starts flowing through the lightball. We
think
that t1 is the time during which the electric field propagates along
wires.

The wires are replaced by plexiglas tubes fulled with an electrolyte,
for
example, a solution of NaCl or of an acid. Will the time t1 become
longer?

Ludwik Kowalski