Re: Charge Distribution around pointed areas

[brian whatcott <inet@INTELLISYS.NET>]

At 17:00 11/15/99 -0500, David Strasburger wrote:
> I'm not sure what kind of kids are in "Ontario grade 12A Physics" and so
> what type of explanation you are looking for.  A quantitative explanation
> was posted recently so I'll add the story I typically tell a conceptual
> class:
>
> Consider awkward fourteen-year-olds at a dance.  They try to stay away
> from each other.  (Ok -- it's not the best analogy -- but let's just accept
> the story for the sake of having something to visualize.)  If the dance is
> held in a round room the kids will plaster themselves against the
> periphery, uniformly staying as far from each other (and the dance floor)
> as possible.  If, however, the room is rectangular, the kids will have
> higher concentrations at the corners (not just because they're dark)
> because they make the following compromise: be closer to a few of their
> classmates in exchange for being farther from the majority.
>
> The analogy is flawed in a number of ways -- but it helps kids get a first
> picture.
>
> David Strasburger

I'm really getting into David's world view.
So the students not only plaster the wall,
but they protrude half way out. And, on this scale, there are no
 sharp corners, it is all a curve. And on the curve, there is a
little more student circumference protruding than remaining in
the interior.
So with reduced internal repulsion from other student charges,
equilibrium obtains when the students are a little closer at the
 curves.
But with increased external student charge exposure, the external
 field is intensified.

Yes, I see it all....   :-)
brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
Altus OK