Is it safe to say that I charge my battery? How about "charging" my CO2
soda dispenser? ;-) I still like the idea that we are energizing the
capacitor.
The other night at the Denver Area Physics Teachers meeting we were
presented with an interesting mechanical analog to a capacitor. I will try
to describe it as I cannot draw: Imagine, Two 16 oz transparent beer
cups with open ends together. A sheet of ballon rubber is stretched across
the mouth of one and the junction is sealed with clear tape. Through each
of the bases is drilled a small hole to allow a drinking straw to be
inserted and hotglued into place. To " Charge the capacitor" one blew into
one end. If the other end was blocked.... If the other was open... If once
fully blown the other end was blocked...( The ...are there for you to make
your observations.It bahaved in a predictable manner.)
Does such a device store air?...The net amount of air never changed. When
allowed, a lot of air came out one end. I
wonder what would happen to two of these if placed in series ;-). It is
hard to make them so they don't leak. I am
even conjuring up an image of a weighted flywheel pump/fan in a closed
container that might even serve as an induction model. (The imagination is
a wonderful tool.)
I am not sure where this takes me/us, but it was fun tossing it out.
Ken Fox
Smoky Hill High School
16100 Smoky Hill Rd
Aurora,CO 80015
303-693-1700(w)
303-850-7537(H)
kfox@stega.smoky.org