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Re: Elementary Lecture


  Richard, All -

  In your post below you said that "Maxwell created the myth of
"displacement current". What is your understanding of displacement current
in both conductors and dielectrics? Maxwell actually said "electricity
displacement" and also indicated this occurred in both conductors and
dielectrics.

  Could you give us more information on how a Tesla coil represents two
capacitor plates and how the transfer of energy thru the system takes place?

  The term "electrostatic" is not an outdated term today when it is used
properly. It is definitely a static electrical field as taught by present
day physics books. See my post on electric fields under "Tesla Coils and
Lamp Tests".

  John Couture

-----------------------------------

At 06:19 AM 2/27/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Original Poster: rwall-at-ix-dot-netcom-dot-com 
>
>On 02/26/99 06:38:23 you wrote:
>>
>>Original Poster: "Dr. Resonance" <Dr.Resonance-at-next-wave-dot-net> 
>>
>>to: Dave Hartwick
>>
>>It's not magic -- it's physics.  A Tesla coil produces "displacement
>>currents" in air because the air represents a dielectric while the terminal
>>represents a plate of a capacitor.  The second plate is represented by
>>isotropic capacitance and plate to ground capacitance of nearby room walls,
>>etc.  A displacement current has unique and different properties than normal
>>air to ground currents which produce the wandering spark phenomonea of Tesla
>>oscillators.
>>
>>You might read some early Maxwell for good descriptions of displacement
>>currents.
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Dr.Resonance-at-next-wave-dot-net
>>
>>
>
>2/26/99
>
>While it's true Maxwell created the myth of "displacement current" in a
>dielectric, he did so 
>only to enable his theories to work.  Maxwell never demonstrated or proved
>that displacement 
>currents exist in a dielectric.  Neither has anyone else to my knowledge.
>Dielectrics have been 
>studied with exquisitely sensitive Squid devices and to date no
>displacement currents have 
>ever been found to exist.  
>
>The question posed is a good one and deserves an answer.  However, I
>believe it is not 
>explainable with current displacement theory.  It is true that TCs
>represent two capacitor 
>plates and air dielectric between, as pointed out above.  The air
>dielectric is constantly being 
>charged by constantly varying electrostatic fields.  As gas ionization
>takes place conductive 
>discharge channels are formed which readily conduct electrical discharges.
>These discharges are 
>electrodynamic and do conduct current both to ground and to the
>electrostatic field in the 
>surrounding local environment.  This electrostatic discharge mechanism is
>the same for van de 
>Graf generators or natural lightning.  It all starts out as an
>electrostatic thing.
>
>As an aside, the term "electrostatic" is a very outdated misnomer in the
>context of Tesla       
>coils.  These TC ES fields are anything but static in that their amplitudes
>constantly vary and 
>field polarity reverses twice during each cycle.  Varying ES fields are not
>the same as 
>electromagnetic fields also surrounding TCs.  The two field types coexist
>concommitantly and do 
>not interfere with each other.
>
>Richard Wall
>
>
>