Re: dielectric constant of water

[Brian Whatcott <betwys1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>]

At 09:41 PM 8/22/2003 -0400, you wrote:
> >///what would you expect to read in your setup with a strong
> >   salt solution in the bag? or a thick metal plate in the bag?
> >
> >Brian Whatcott   Altus OK
>
>
> With a thick metal plate in the bag, I would expect the capacitance
> to increase.  I see that you're suggesting that salty water would act
> like a thick metal plate producing, in effect, two capacitors in
> series whose dielectric is the thin plastic bag. Being thin, the two
> caps have a very small plate separation which produces a large
> capacitance, but having the two in series cuts that large capacitance
> in two.  Is that right? -- Wolfgang
> --
> Wolfgang Rueckner


That was what I had in mind. I wrote up on this list an
informal test of water's k using kitchen foil and kitchen
 wipe as a separator, and flooding the wipe with distilled
 water.
But that was some years ago.
 I tried rigging it again this evening, but this time used
tap water, and a different meter and found the resistance
 soon became too lowfor reliable capacitance readings.
 So I shall need to wait for
 a fresh supply of distilled water to try again.


Brian Whatcott    Altus OK    Eureka!