Re: reifying energy

[Brian Whatcott <inet@INTELLISYS.NET>]

It is either a discussion gambit or a nit-pick I realise,
but the number of electrons that vibrate is not material,
but rather the number of electrons that pass a reference
plane.

Brian


At 08:32 AM 5/9/02, you wrote:
> I think we're paying for (1) the potential difference that the utility
> company maintains across the wires at our meter (same price for everyone)
> and (2) the number of electrons residing in our household wiring that
> vibrate back and forth at 60 Hz (price depends on number of electrons made
> to vibrate by the loads we switch on).
>
> poj
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Larry Smith" <larry.smith@SNOW.EDU>
> To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 10:36 PM
> Subject: reifying energy
>
>
> > Jim, Re: reifying energy,
> >
> > What am I paying my utility company for?  What do they give me in exchange
> > for my money?  I'm not buying electrons (which are real?).  Am I buying
> > energy (which is not real?)?  If energy is a property of objects can I buy
> > the property without buying the object?  Is this like a diaper service
> > where I'm buying not diapers but cleanliness?
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Larry

Brian Whatcott
  Altus OK                      Eureka!