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Re: Plastic Pop Bottle SW Caps
Tesla List wrote:
>
> From: "Michael Baumann" <baumann-at-proton.llumc.edu>
>
> Placing my tongue *FIRMLY* in cheek....
>
> --
> Michael Baumann Optivus Technology Inc.|Loma Linda University Medical
> Center
> San Bernardino, California. (909)799-8308 |Internet: baumann-at-llumc.edu
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Tesla List [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 1998 7:09 PM
> > To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> > Subject: Re: Plastic Pop Bottle SW Caps
> >
> >
> > Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 18:48:19 -0700
> > From: Jim Lux <James.P.Lux-at-jpl.nasa.gov>
> >
> > Tesla List wrote:
> > >
> > > Last night I did a few experiments with a soda pop bottle PSWC
> >>
> > What about using an electrolyte that isn't a water solution. Perhaps it
> > is a bit exotic, but sodium is a fairly good conductor, and melts at a
> > fairly low temperature (97.5 C). Mercury is a good conductor, a liquid,
> > but does have significant safety hazards.
>
> Like sodium does not? :) <- Humor intended.
At least I didn't suggest dissolving the sodium in water.(humor, don't
try it anyone) And, you don't have to worry about inhaling sodium fumes.
It is probably a whole lot safer than mercury, which is truly insidious.
Really, though, Sodium or a Sodium/Potassium eutectic alloy can be
really handy. Just keep it dry (like immersed in oil). Sodium is
probably the cheapest metal that is liquid at reasonable temperatures
and is a fairly good conductor (unlike wood metal or other bismuth
alloys).
I have an acquaintance who was doing a lot of work with exploding wires
to do flash photolysis to pump a chemical laser. They wound up using
sodium in a tube as a "reusable wire". Imagine a horizontal tube several
cm in diameter. The few mm of sodium lies in the bottom. You apply (lots
of) energy, the wire (aka river of sodium) goes bang. It cools, the
sodium runs down to the bottom of the trough again, and you're ready to
go.