Re: [Phys-l] Electron Transfer Demo

[Bernard Cleyet <bernardcleyet@redshift.com>]

On 2012, Apr 12, , at 20:53, Jeff Bigler wrote:

> I was demonstrating an induction coil in one of my physics classes
> today.  

What type -- The reason I ask is whether its output was AC or dc  did it have an interrupter with a cap. in parallel with the points?

Such are DC w a small reverse EMF.

Which leads to my next question.



> One of my students asked whether the arcing current could light
> a match.  I didn't know the answer, so i taped a match to a meter stick
> and tried it.  Nothing happened.
>
> At that point, because I now had a match on the end of a meter stick, I
> thought it might be fun to see whether the current affected the flame.
> So I lit the match and held the flame (on the end of the meter stick)
> near the arc.  When I did this, the arc jumped into the flame.

Did the arc act as a sink, i.e. from one terminal to the flame and not then to the other terminal, or did the flame divert its path but still go from one terminal tother?


Is one of the secondary terminals earthed or common with one end of the primary?



> In retrospect, this makes sense.  I believe this must occur because the
> flame is a redox (electron transfer) reaction, and the reaction
> components were acting as a source and/or sink for the electrons arcing
> between the electrodes of the induction coil.
>
> I thought this was a physics/chemistry connection that was interesting
> enough to be worth sharing.
>
> -- 
> Jeff Bigler
> "Magic" is what we call Science before we understand it.
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