Re: TC Electrostatics

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: TC Electrostatics
From: Richard Hull <hullr-at-whitlock-dot-com>
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 23:58:26 -0800
Tesla List wrote:
> 
> >From rwall-at-ix-dot-netcom-dot-com Tue Dec  3 22:57:02 1996
> Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 05:40:53 -0800
> From: Richard Wayne Wall <rwall-at-ix-dot-netcom-dot-com>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: TC Electrostatics
> big snip

> The unit of charge is the coulomb.  Experimentally, it is easier to
> define the coulomb (C) as the amount of charge per second passing
> through a cross section of wire carrying a constant current of one
> ampere.  Experimentally, the charge on a single electron may be
> calculated as e = 1.602 x 10^-19 C.  This was the smallest electrical
> charge found on any partical.  Note also it is equal to the positive
> charge on a single proton.  The charges on these particals are measured
> experimentally in in terms of fractions of the original Coulombic unit
> which is experimentally connected to the SI unit for force, Newton (N).
> It is equally correct to express a positive coulombic charge residing
> on a proton or a positron.
> 
> As an interesting aside, charges are no longer restricted to positive
> and negative integers, but also are fractional.  Some quarks have 1/3
> and 2/3 charges.  Question is will future particals be discovered
> denoted by irrational fractions?  A marked digression from the topic.
> 
> Back on point, could you or R. Hull elaborate on Tesla's CSN thoughts
> on charges produced by TCs?
> 
> RWW

Richard,

Tesla had little or nothing to say in the CSN about actual DC charge and 
TCs,  His best thoughts on the matter are better stated in his 1934 
(think it was the April or May issue) Scientific American article 
regarding the Van degraff generator.  It is obvious that Tesla ultimately 
knew of the electrostatic potentials associated with Tesla coils.  He 
tended to hold many of his best cards tightly to his chest!

It is important to note that the electrostatic coulomb and the 
electrodynamic coulomb (as defining current) are different beasts.  The 1 
ampere coulomb for electrodynamics is the "effective passage of relative 
charges" and not the real passage of electrons.  The coulomb of static 
electricity is real held charge represented by static charge units.  One 
 coulomb of electrostatic charge has the potential for vastly more 
effective work than one ampere flowing in a circuit.  The electrostatic 
unit concerns itself with scalar potential or voltage, while the other 
value links the coulomb to current in metallic circuits only with no 
voltage equivalence.

Richard Hull, TCBOR