Re: Disectable Capacitor

[Herbert H Gottlieb <herbgottlieb@JUNO.COM>]

When the capacitor is charged, the atoms in the dielectric are stresssed
and are aligned by the electric field that is applied.   It's like a gun
being cocked.
When the capacitor is reassembled the atoms resume their normal position
vand give off energy in the process.

Herb Gottlieb from New York City
(Where we are always stressed)

On Wed, 03 Mar 1999 16:45:51 -0600 John P Lewis
<jlewis@GLENBROOK.K12.IL.US> writes:
> OK, Once again I am having a little trouble understanding some of my
> =
> equipment.
>
> I recently purchased a Cenco disectable capacitor which consists of an
> =
> outer aluminum can (no top), a plastic (beaker) which fits nicely
> inside, =
> and an inner aluminum can which has a conducting post attached.
>
> I charge it up with a Wimshurst Generator so that the outer conductor
> and =
> inner conductor have opposite charges.  Then disconnect the
> generator.
>
> I can easily take apart the capacitor with small (<1mm) sparks to my
> hand. =
> I then touch all pieces which appear to have been discharged.
>
> Then I reassemble the combination as I did in the first place.  Then I
> =
> touched the two conductors together and WHAM, a huge spark (>1cm)
> passes =
> from conductor to conductor.
>
> The owner's manual suggests that the CHARGE is stored in the
> dielectric =
> between the conductors but I don't understand how this could be.
>
> If there is some sort of memory of the internal field set up in the =
> dielectric, why does it "remember" while I take it apart but not
> "remember"=
> after discharge.
>
> Any ideas about this, no doubt, century old demonstration??
>
> Thanks in advance,
> John