Physics Superstar... thanks to cyberspace!
This is my guess
Maybe I'm just saying the same thing bg...but one can is positive and one negative and therefore they'd reinforce each other--but how does one become positive and one negative to begin with? That's the part I don't get. Your run the water through and the water would be neutral to begin with, then something has to happen to make one side either positive or negative. Once one side has a charge the other side would develop the opposite charge. How does the initial charge happen I'm wondering.
Oh, I think you were editing while I was writing--so are you saying the cans have to have a slight charge--one positive, one negative-- to begin the process?
Yes Jaz you are right!
You're right. You have one (+)can and one (-)can.
The (+)can drips into the (-)bucket. And the (-)can drips into the (+)bucket.
The wires are criss crossed so that the (+)bucket is connected to the (+)can and the (-)bucket is connected to the (-)can.
It's important that the water is not pouring out in a stream, but drips instead.
Water droplets are crucial for this to work.
The water also needs to pass through the can, not drip on it! Ideally, the droplets should begin to form just above the can, before it passes through it.
Thanks!
Water has to drip in order for ionization to take place?
Hmmm, I wonder if you set up the system but didn't charge the cans to begin with whether over time it would still work? 'Cause any imbalance would get things going and I gotta think that the water dripping through the cans wouldn't always be perfectly electrically neutral.
The cans and buckets
I see what you were asking earlier, how are the cans or buckets postive or negative to begin with. I have no idea! I'd like to know that. What makes one positive and the other neg.? :)
I just know that the water separates it self into the proper buckets on it's own. But only if it's a water droplet and not a continuous stream.
OK
OK
Why Droplets?
Hey Jaz- The reason it has to be droplets of water is because a continuous stream wouldn't give the charges a chance to break away from the source, which is grounded.
Why droplets?
And adjusting the flow of the stream determines the amount of energy that comes from the falling water. Otherwise I think a steady flow of water would probably just function as another moving part of the contraption.
Thanks again!
Pos v. Neg
Pos v. Neg
Hey ESi,
Was reading about water yesterday actually to post on the Lost thread--I was reading that water molecules are electric dipoles (oxygen negative, hydrogen positive) and that this binds the molecules more tightly together than you would usually have--so I think that goes along with what you are saying about the way water ionizes differently. And it probably implies that this battery set up wouldn't work with a different kind of liquid.
Pos v Neg
Two atoms are walking down the street.
One turns to the other and says "Oh No, I think I'm an Ion."
"Are You Sure?"
"I'm positive!"
A neutron walks into a bar and asks for a beer.
"How much do I owe ya?" he asks the bartender.
"For you, no charge."
I'll be here all week.
Whew
This is my guess... Electrostatic Induction
This water-drop contraption is utilizing Electrostatic Induction to generate a voltage difference between the two buckets. So there must be an electric field in the paint cans, first of all. And water, like many things, is composed of vast quantities of positive and negative electric charges in perfect balance. As the water drips down from the top, the slightly positively-charged water is attracted to the more negative can, and the slightly negative water is attracted to the more positive can. The charges then build up in the can connected to the bucket opposite of it - attracting even more charge. This results in a positive feedback loop, which you should be familiar with that!!.
When the voltage difference is high enough, an electrical charge is created, resulting in a spark or little lightning bolt. You see the spark jump between the buckets, discharging the voltage.