Re: Missing Energy

[Brian McInnes <bmcinnes@PNC.COM.AU>]

Randy,
My understanding is  the "missing" energy goes into an inevitable
spark that occurrs when when the connection is made.
However, what if the connection is done in a vacuum?  Perhaps I should
think about that.
Brian McInnes
----------
> From: Randy Sloper <rsloper@SOUTHWESTERN.CC.OR.US>
> To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU
> Subject: Missing Energy
> Date: Thu, 20 May 1999 8:51 AM

> I have recently posed the following question to my calculus based
> physics class and am not sure I understand the results.
>
> Given two capacitors C1 and C2 charged to potentials V1 and V2
> respectively determine the energy stored in them.
> Now connect the two capicitors together positive to positive and
> determine the potential difference and energy stored in the capicitors.
> If the energies are different, where did the energy go?
>
> To my surprise, the energies are different and I am not sure where the
> energy went.  Did the changing flux of E-field create a B-field that
> took away energy?  Were photons emitted?  How can the energy loss be
> time independent?  Am I way off?
>
> Any help will be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Randy