Re: There's work, and then there's work

[Bob LaMontagne <rlamont@POSTOFFICE.PROVIDENCE.EDU>]

David Rutherford wrote:

> > You are attempting to count the same result twice.
>
> No I'm not. I'm attempting to count the energies resulting from the
> transverse component of the motion (calorimeter experiment) and
> longitudinal component of the motion (current experiment), separately,
> then adding them together. Each experiment, individually, gives only
> half of the total energy. In the calorimetric experiment, the
> contribution of the longitudinal motion to the energy is discounted, and
> in the current experiment, the contribution of the transverse motion to
> the energy is discounted.

Transverse Current???? We are talking about quasi steady state currents. There is no net
Transverse current. What do you propose happens to the charges in this supposed transverse
current when they reach the surface of the resistor? Are there radial currents in the wires
also? Where do these currents go? Where do they originate from? Are they coming from the
capacitor? When do they begin their radial motion? This is an interesting attempt to force
that extra factor of two that you need, but it's at odds with Kirchoff's Laws in elementary
circuit theory. I would suggest reading up on those few chapters in elementary college
physics texts that discuss current flow and capacitive discharge.

One of the key indicators of pseudoscience is the irrefutable hypothesis. You have been
presented with the ideal test of your theory - the calorimeter. I suspect by now that you
understand that if you actually do the experiment you will get 1/2 CV^2 as the energy
responsible for the temperature rise of the water. You are now dangerously close to
fabricating unphysical schemes to justify arbitrarily scaling up the results of the
definitive experiment that either makes or breaks your theory. If the results come out to be
C V^2, you're vindicated. If it's 1/2 C V^2, you seem prepared to propose a myriad of schemes
to scale the result by a factor of 2 and claim validation - thereby leaving no means to
refute your hypothesis - regardless of experimental outcome.

You can't measure a 3 foot board twice and claim its 6 feet long :-)

Bob at PC