| Topic: |
Science > Physics |
| User: |
"Timo Nieminen" |
| Date: |
24 Jan 2008 10:15:41 PM |
| Object: |
Oersted's experiment - current source |
There was a question a while ago about Oersted's current source. Here are
the details from the English translation of his paper (English version was
in Annals of Philosophy 16, 273-276, 1820).
"The galvanic apparatus which we employed consists of 20 copper troughs,
the length and height of each which was 12 inches; but the breadth
scarcely exceeded 2 1/2 inches. Every trough is supplied with two plates
of copper, so bent that they could carry a copper rod, which supports the
zinc plate in the water of the next trough. The water of the troughs
contained 1/60 th of its weight of sulphuric acid, and an equal quantity
of nitric acid. The portion of each zinc plate sunk in the water is a
square whose side is about 10 inches in length. A smaller apparatus will
answer provided it be strong enough to heat a metallic wire red hot."
--
Timo Nieminen - Home page: http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/people/nieminen/
E-prints: http://eprint.uq.edu.au/view/person/Nieminen,_Timo_A..html
Shrine to Spirits: http://www.users.bigpond.com/timo_nieminen/spirits.html
.
|
|
| User: "" |
|
| Title: Re: Oersted's experiment - current source |
27 Jan 2008 05:52:59 PM |
|
|
On Jan 24, 11:15=A0pm, Timo Nieminen <t...@physics.uq.edu.au> wrote:
There was a question a while ago about Oersted's current source. Here are
the details from the English translation of his paper (English version was=
in Annals of Philosophy 16, 273-276, 1820).
"The galvanic apparatus which we employed consists of 20 copper troughs,
the length and height of each which was 12 inches; but the breadth
scarcely exceeded 2 1/2 inches. Every trough is supplied with two plates
of copper, so bent that they could carry a copper rod, which supports the
zinc plate in the water of the next trough. The water of the troughs
contained 1/60 th of its weight of sulphuric acid, and an equal quantity
of nitric acid. The portion of each zinc plate sunk in the water is a
square whose side is about 10 inches in length. A smaller apparatus will
answer provided it be strong enough to heat a metallic wire red hot."
--
Timo Nieminen - Home page:http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/people/nieminen/
E-prints:http://eprint.uq.edu.au/view/person/Nieminen,_Timo_A..html
Shrine to Spirits:http://www.users.bigpond.com/timo_nieminen/spirits.html
It depends upon the diameter and resistivity of the metalic wire.
You can easily heat a #30 wire to the point where it melts using a 9-
volt transistor radio battery, and likely even a single "A" size
battery.
It would seem to me that, given the dimensions you've posted,
Oersted's battery could have approached the capacity of a small car
battery in both current and voltage. I have no reason to doubt that
it could heat quite a sizable metallic wire red hot.
Harry C.
.
|
|
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
