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[Physltest] [Phys-L] Re: fireball in the microwave



Hmm...

A question about this explanation--

If the "lightning" is a flame, something is burning. SO if it is
"detached form its source," what is burining in the detqached flame? Or
is it not qa flame, but something else?

Jon Greenberg

Daryl@DARYLSCIENCE.COM 1/19/2005 6:55:52 PM >>>
It's one of those "Don't do this at home, I'm a Semi-Trained
Professional"
things. The flame is a plasma which is quite conductive electrically.
To
quote from http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/cwillis/microwave.html ,
a
link from Bill Beaty's site :

"The reason the "ball lightning" is formed is that hot ionized gas in
flames
and arcs is a pretty good conductor,
and like a moist hunk of meatloaf, will absorb microwave power and
resistive
heating will result. Being hot and
lighter than surrounding gas, the arc or flame will rise and can
detatch
from its source. The resulting ball is
kept hot by continuing to absorb microwaves. When the ball reaches
the
metal walls of the oven cavity, its heat
is absorbed and it loses its ability to conduct. Hence the discharge
is
terminated."

Go to Bill's site, http://amasci.com/weird/microexp.html#link , for a
list
of wonderfully devious experiments you should do with SOME ONE ELSE'S
microwave oven...


Daryl L. Taylor, Fizzix Guy
Greenwich HS, CT
PAEMST '96
International Internet Educator of the Year '03
NASA SEU Educator Ambassador
www.DarylScience.com

This email prepared and transmitted using 100% recycled electrons!



-----Original Message-----
From: Forum for Physics Educators [mailto:PHYS-L@list1.ucc.nau.edu]On
Behalf Of Larry Smith
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 5:30 PM
To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU
Subject: fireball in the microwave


My students told me to go home, light a match, put the lighted match in
the
microwave oven, and turn the oven on. So I did. Wow! Someone please
explain to me the huge blue fireball that filled the whole oven.

Thanks,
Larry
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