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Re: reifying energy



poj wrote:

From: pojhome [mailto:pojhome@SWBELL.NET]
Sent: Thursday, May 09, 2002 2:34 PM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: reifying energy


Imagine a swarm of electrons vibrating in a copper wire, Brian. There are
two ways that the number of electrons passing a given reference plane in a
half cycle can increase: either the number of electrons in the swarm
increases or the wavelength of the vibration increases. Since the vibration
frequency remains fixed at 60 Hz, the wavelength of a vibration also stays
fixed. Therefore, the number of electrons vibrating must increase.

I don't think that's correct - you imply that the properties of the
conductor itself are changing. I think measuring the density of conduction
band electrons will show that it remains constant. Rather, as the current
increases, the drift velocity of the charge carriers increases (actually
vice versa). Remember, also, that the net current density is superimposed
on a random walk for these electrons - to the extent that we can treat them
as localized, they don't move much, anyway.

*********************************************
"There probably aren't many Jewish girls
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doesn't take a Rockette Zionist to figure
that one out."
--Gary Hallock
********************************************
George Spagna
Department of Physics
Randolph-Macon College
P.O. Box 5005
Ashland, VA 23005-5505
phone: (804) 752-7344
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e-mail: gspagna@rmc.edu
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