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Re: Real data from real experiments.
A comment on this....
> Brent Turner asked:
>
> > two *identical value* caps in series yields a total capacitance
> > of 1/2 of the value. So, for a 1 uF cap, that gives us a total
> > value of 0.5 uF.
> >
> > I guess at this point, I can ask a related question:
> >
> > "When two identical capacitors are hooked in series, where does 1/2
> > of the capacitance go?"
> >
>
> Same place that "lost" potential energy went - absolutely nowhere!
> Not withstanding Jack C's attempts to explain away the experimental
> results with "spark losses", etc. the lost energy is a red herring.
> The POTENTIAL energy is merely redistributed over both caps, becoming
> less useful to perform work. You could also say the fully charged
> cap performed work in charging the second cap, storing the energy
> in the elusive field...
<snip>
In redistributing the _charge_, some of the potential energy is
converted to kinetic energy and is thereby free to radiate, lose it
over resistance or whatever. It is clear to me that energy really does
escape the system and end up elsewhere in the universe. This is quite
measureable - in the case of spark in connecting the caps, you can
hear the result on the radio. In using a resistor, the resistor gets
measurably warm.
Malcolm