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Re: conserving charges ? /Faraday



-----Original Message-----
From: Ludwik Kowalski <kowalskiL@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU>
To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU <PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU>
Date: Thursday, November 26, 1998 4:53 AM
Subject: Re: conserving charges ? /Faraday

. . .
We are now doing this in a
well grounded box, as suggested by Bob Sciamanda; the results are
qualitatively the same. . . .

Ludwik Kowalski


Hi Ludwik,
Actually, I merely warned that the proximity of other conductors
(grounded or not) could complicate the situation into a "more than two"
conductor situation.
By grounding the bottom conductor, you no longer have an isolated system;
an earth ground can provide a source or sink of charge (as when you
charge a grounded conductor by induction).
In fact if you are using an AC power supply, one of its output terminals
(usually the negative) may well be connected to earth ground via the
third lug safety ground; that is not uncommon. I should think that you
would want all parts of your system to be "floating" and isolated (both
electrically and physically) from earth ground and all else. Only then
can you hope for a conservation of charge test.

Perhaps in time I may be able to scrounge an electrometer, etc and join
your efforts - sounds intriguing!

-Bob

Bob Sciamanda
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (ret)
trebor@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~trebor