Re: Lightning Gun To Combat Terrorists - WHERE IS THE RETURN PATH???

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>

"Hello Ed,

My 9 vdc transistor radio is sitting on my wooden table happily
detecting passing EM wave energy and playing music from an AM station
transmitting 20 miles away.

Where is the return path?

Stork"

	These are WAVES, not conducted energy.  The magnetic component of the
EM wave is inducing a voltage in the loop in your little radio.  If you
had an "aerial" (wire strung up in the air) you could receive the
electric field component, which would induce a voltage which in turn
cause a current to flow if you connected a ground (return circuit) to
it.

Ed