Darlington Learns about Electrophorus

[@frac]

...and I hope you never change anything. Not even the production values. That's part of what makes your videos accessible, charming, and non-threatening. Of course, the amazing instructor with her contagious desire to learn is a big part of it, too!

[@jeriellsworth]

@10mintwo Foes seem like magic. It's the work of pulling the disk up. The foam in a perfect universe would never lose it's electrostatic charge.

[@Kevbo4]

Okay, I duplicated the experiment and while the Leyden jar take-a-part and reassemble with charge intact worked, my reassembled hard drive no longer works. Thanks a lot, Jeri.

[@jeriellsworth]

@dashxdr Her main site is joannelovesscience . com and she posted a response video to this one. I have a link in the video and I'll make sure there is one in the description.

[@jeriellsworth]

@th3dig1tal0n3 It does not touch the device under test. That is what I call it a "passive test"

[@joshcryer]

That's a really really great result. Fantastic. When you dismantled the capacitor and reassembled it, and it worked, I was so amazed. Also, Darlington appears to enjoy being a static energy source. :)

[@jeriellsworth]

@pieznice29 My guess is yes, but it might be hard to disassemble some types. :D

[@jeriellsworth]

@Bellerophon2200 A friend pointed out that some shopping carts generate high voltage in a similar way.

[@jeriellsworth]

@shodanxx My guess is that the polarity would be reversed. We could test this easier if it was made of flat plastic and flat foil. Heat - Many insulators and semiconductors become more conductive because of thermal excitation. I don't know if heating this type of plastic will allow the charge to conduct.

[@jeriellsworth]

@bobcat0 I wonder if there are official videos for his work, so I can link? I don't want to link to someone who might get shut down.

[@jeriellsworth]

@Afrotechmods He's thinking "What is this crazy human doing to me?"

[@jeriellsworth]

@joshcryer That cat loves any kind of attention. It's hard to keep him off the workbench.

[@jeriellsworth]

@shodanxx Those are great questions. I don't have the answers for this, but you're making me wonder what electronic interactions form a good dialectic. For instance why is a diamond a good insulator, but poor dielectric with it's high band gap?

[@kreynolds1123]

molecular polarity plays one important role in the dielectric constant. Non polar molicules don't realign with an electric field. And because it takes energy to align the molicules in an electric field, a polar molecule like water increases the capacitance over free space with a dielectric constant upto around 80 times that of free space. it also makes sence that water's dielectric constant is reduced with increasing temperature. some other ways an electric field can store energy aside from aligning molicules is in changing bond angles, crystal lattice deformations in piezo electric creates voltages on capacitor plates, and ionic seperating like say with salt sodium and chlorine ions in water. capacitor like plates on two sides of an elastomer will mechanically deform as the plates are electrostaticlly atracted to each other, thus causing the plates to get closer increasing the capacitance allowing one to store every more and more energy untill the dielectric break down occurs. it's all very facinating.

[@JoanneManasterJLS]

Darlington is so cute! And how he was purring at the end, awesome. He approves of being your assistant! :)

[@packrat541]

If the plates of a charged capacitor are moved apart capacitance decreases but voltage will increase because energy is added by the work done to move the plates apart.

[@DanFrederiksen]

aww nice kitty : ) neat charge detector. wouldn't have thought that would work but I guess there is a gradient in the 'air'. also neat about the separated capacitor. that has do with the fact that the ether (in this case polluted by air) is not nothing. fascinating it is

[@jeriellsworth]

@halentimo No kittys stopped purring during the making of this video.

[@CampKohler]

@Bellerophon2200 Before you can say the plate is grounded, you would have to test it. Older houses have no ground wires in the wiring, e.g. those with 2-prong plugs. Even modern houses may not have the switch frame grounded with the box being made of plastic, so the plate (or, if the plate is plastic, just the screw) may not grounded. BTW, what do you mean by "lights up"? Blinks or lights steadily or what? It doesn't feel right that a charge could make it up there without draining off somehow.

[@CampKohler]

@Bellerophon2200 If the switch was open, any charge that could make it onto the hot wire (usually black) would reach the lamp and go to ground through the neutral wire (white) or via the light fixture chassis if it is grounded until it was used up (hence the flash). You would have to investigate how putting the charge on the plate/screw gets it into the hot wire, which is not immediately apparent to me. It's just one of those things that requires study and fiddlin' around.

[@Afrotechmods]

oh my god I almost died laughing at the cat

[@illustriouschin]

1:17 is so hypnotic. Also I completely don't understand what is going on with that capacitor thing but it is really cool.

[@sciguy14]

Best cat name ever. Did you adopt your cat from Bell Labs?

[@Bellerophon2200]

@Bellerophon2200 ....I just bump the ladder against a metal base and grin thinking, "that could be me," LOL. It's not bad because it's disspating over a larger area. The thing I can't figure out is why my flourescent light lights up in my room when I apply a shock, voltage, to the grounded wall plate. Shouldn't it just go to ground? Why is a potential difference created when I touch a grounded screw?

[@CampKohler]

@pieznice29 Not air-insulated caps. :-) Seriously, I don't know what would be in oil, say, but I know they warn that even after big oil caps are shorted, when unshorted, a charge will build up again. I don't know if it seeps back from the plates or the dielectric. Discharge resistors are built in to many appliance caps, because those expected to be around them tend to be clueless about that fact.

[@jeriellsworth]

@sturgeon333 I'll have to get more of my stuff out of boxes before then.

[@markvergeer]

I agree about your opinion on the 'Science godess' - anyone trying to determine the density of gummy bears is a hero by my book!

[@jeriellsworth]

@XsavioR38 I know about this, because I've left many pins on transistors float on accident. :)

[@shodanxx]

@jeriellsworth in a previous article you mentionned that conduction in polymer was very complex, something about a series of π bonds (!?) are these special characteristics having an effect in this rudimentary capacitor (can they accumulated more charge than say a glass cup of the same size and thickness ?) I guess I'm asking, are the properties of the dielectric material important here or is the total surface by far the dominant factor ?

[@jeriellsworth]

@TheNewYorkPete I put him on the bench and he just plopped down. I had to keep shoving him off the bench for the next hour.

[@sturgeon333]

Jeri, could you give us a tour of your home workshop/lab in a future video?

[@R2NOTU]

Neutralize the attraction or pull .they say the energy is produced by the pulling away of the plate and touching to ground but this sets up attractive forces .if you can do this you'll have endless energy

[@Bellerophon2200]

@CampKohler It lights up for a moment in a weird dim purple light, like a flash.

[@drstampfli]

Amazing experiment... as usual! Thanks!

[@Bellerophon2200]

@CampKohler Man, I don't even know. I'm not going to even try and look, or unscrew stuff. For now, however, I can't get a charge because we just got a humidifier. Maybe I'll build one of those triboelectric devices and recording the flash on video.

[@lesconrads]

Old video - new comment: I laughed so hard at you rubbing the cat on a thing! I have just found your channel and enjoy the videos!

[@jeriellsworth]

@sciguy14 It showed up at the house one day and I made the mistake of giving it food.

[@Greg_Chase]

I was a STEM undergrad at UC Berkeley. Unfortunately for us, there was only one gal in our undergrad class who was as attractive as you. It was stunning to see the lopsided gender nature of the major (electrical engineering and computer science). Kudos to you for following your passion - STEM is a very rewarding career. One challenge I suspect you've never tackled is to impose coherent alignment on the nuclear moments in a solid - this would have to be a specific type of solid - it would need to be one of the elements (such as bismuth, or aluminum, etc.) that possess an unpaired proton and/or an unpaired neutron. The magnetic moment of that type of nucleus can be electrically manipulated to align, coherently, throughout a bulk sample of the material. Although NMR, or NQR (nuclear quadrupole resonance) or EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) are similar, I'm actually talking about aligning the majority of nuclear 1/2 spin moments in the *_SAME DIRECTION_* whereas those other techniques result in about 1/2 the population of nuclei aligned in one direction, and the other 1/2 of the population of nuclei aligned in the opposite direction, and the *_EFFECT_* cancels out. Because you seem very intelligent, I'm pretty sure this is something you could do. The effect I'm speaking of is exceedingly rare throughout all of science. Here is a link that explains why - it is the presence of heat (kinetic energy) that causes the problem I mentioned above (*_1/2 the population of nuclei aligned in one direction, and the other 1/2 of the population of nuclei aligned in the opposite direction, and the effect cancels out_*) hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Nuclear/spinpol.html Nature does not like having the nuclear moments of 1/2-spin nuclei all lined up in the same direction in a bulk sample of bismuth or aluminum or etc. So it is not easy to do. But like I said, you sound intelligent. The effect is an alteration of the Vacuum in the immediate vicinity of the material. What do I mean? Well, a magnetic field, which is caused by the coherent alignment of electron spins in a sample of iron (or cobalt or nickel) - a magnetic field is also *an alteration of the Vacuum in the immediate vicinity of the material* The effect I'm talking about - caused by coherent alignment of nuclear spins - is a gravity effect. (NOTE: we were taught in high school physics that a magnetic field is produced by 'alignment of magnetic domains' - aka alignment of electron spins) .

[@matthewbeardmore]

Wow, i never knew layden jar capacitors kept their charge even after dissasembly, although it does make sense now that i think about it... Does that work for all types of capacitors then?

[@jeriellsworth]

@nik282000 Sounds like a successful experiment to me.

[@flurng]

Your hailstorm box looks like an implementation of Franklin's Bells experiment!

[@oudotcom]

Great video again ! The cat is very cute ! ;) Funny, how she likes it.. Probably she is as interested in the science as YOU ! ;) Well, I have to watch the video at least 3 more times to see, what you do there exactly with the electric induction...You really could make your videos a bit slower in explanation. Hmm, was there the plastic baker still charged at the end or why did the charge still occur after disassembling ?

[@kreynolds1123]

metals conduct and can easily take or give up electrons while electron holes get stranded one surface of the surfaces of the cup, while actual electrons get stranded on the other.

[@dashxdr]

Can you put a link to the science goddess youtube channel? Not sure which it is.

[@CampKohler]

@AmazGraz Caps couldn't hold near enough energy to get you onto the street, much less to some far off place. If you could charge it with a vane, the energy required to move the vane is always greater than what it could collect or it would be a perpetual motion machine (not allowed by the law of conservation). However, if you made the vane very, very big and had sailing experience, you might just pull it off. :-)

[@kreynolds1123]

there are some city buses that charge capacitors to get them to the next stop. but yeah, they dont hold much energy to get further.

[@bhtooefr]

Why am I getting a Dr. Evil vibe when you're holding Darlington at the end?

[@jeriellsworth]

@BlowDevilUp Heck yeah!

[@SciStarborne]

There's a Cat5 joke in here somewhere. :)

[@AmazGraz]

So cool. Now if I could only learn how to power a vehicle with one of those. In fact, why don't they use super huge capacitors to power cars, maybe, instead of batteries? Wouldn't it be lighter? And why can we not charge them with something like a vane cutting the wind? By the way, is your cat transistorized?

[@kreynolds1123]

There are some city busses that charge up some capacitors at stops. although capacitors are power dense, they have low energy desity. so though a cap can run an electric motor well for a short duration, if one wants to go very far, they need to consider the amount of energy for the weight they carry.

[@TheNewYorkPete]

How did you get Darlington to cooperate at 1:20 ??

[@shodanxx]

if you turned the cup inside out somehow would the polarity be reversed ? (maybe if it was made of another plastic, or heated, would it lose its charge if heated ?)

[@kreynolds1123]

charges stay stranded on the surface of an insulating material.

[@CampKohler]

@jeriellsworth But a good heat conductor. (Search "diamond heat sink")

[@NickMoore]

Gread video but plastic cups and electricity don't mix for me any more. Plastic cup capacitors can hold an ENORMOUS charge. I used my Van De Graff generator to charge the outside of a cup negatively and used a grounded wire to let the inside charge positively, this was without the foil. The charge on the cup was enough to deliver a very loud and painful spark. After 2 or 3 repetitions the charge eventually punched through the cup in a spiderweb pattern. I like the science cat :)

[@EntangledQuanta]

As usual, another great vid. ty. I wonder if your cat thinks you're insane and is so passive because he doesn't want to trigger an episode? :p

[@da959]

Your cat is an excellant assistant. My cat can build up quite a charge just sliding her across a carpeted floor. Hmmm, I wonder if I got more cats, maybe I could power my whole house with them...

[@drumid1881]

thanks very much, LOVE your video's + i love your cat Darlington

[@Cokecanninja]

Darlington the cat is very chill. Neither of my cats would let me flip them upside down and rub them on a piece of cardboard.

[@Bellerophon2200]

@jeriellsworth interesting; A primitive van de graff generator. Hopefully it wasn't at a propane market xD

[@jeriellsworth]

@Kevbo4 LOL

[@WisdomVendor]

For your next vid , you should clone darlington. Surely you want a darlington pair.

[@allmyenemies]

@pieznice29 Ya! Obviously the charge is stored in the dielectric, by the displacement current... anyway because in real world, some charge have been lost by the way :) This is due to fact that leaving charge from a metal is too easy but isn't so easy from an insulator (the dieletric in this case). The cat is so quiet.. amazing :)) Bye Jeriellsworth, always on top!

[@HowToGuys]

That cat is useful ,and quiet helpful, i would say mew (WOW).

[@jeriellsworth]

@w0mblemania Meow!

[@jvcrules]

darlington? does he eat transistors for breakfast or something?

[@w0mblemania]

Hi Darlington!

[@alphabeets]

Damn cool! Jeri Rules.

[@CoinOpTV]

hah cool!

[@ngneer999]

You draw an etch-a-sketch picture of Tesla and name your cat Darlington. Do you live at the corner of Shockley Street and Faraday Ave.?

[@LL-or9fd]

You're vid's really interesting!! And Darlington's so cute!!! :3

[@LoranDavis]

Jeri, you're about as awesome as a gal can be. Best wishes. Loran in St. John's

[@Bellerophon2200]

Ahh I see now. It is not JUST a thirsty mind. It helps to have a B.S. in E.E and being mad intelligent. ;P Anyway, at my job I roll a large ladder around when I need to move printers and PCs. It has plastic caster wheels, metal bearings and a metal frame; and it rolls on a carpet. I'll climb the ladder, and won't notice the charge because the ladder and I are the same, but when I touch the grounded shelves I nearly fall off the ladder from the shock. I'm wise to it now, though.....

[@FlyByPC]

@jeriellsworth Best laugh I've had all week. Putting the "cat" back in "cathode"?

[@winsucker7755]

I have watched 10 of Joannes movies..lets just say that i didn't subscribe. But i love your movies! Their are great and first thing that i click at the morning, with blogs, my projects and gmail. You know..before the "work" routine...? Have a great December!

[@AntiProtonBoy]

jeri + kitty + internet = win

[@DPS670950]

I've been lucky playing with oil filled capacitors in that I've only had one shower me with hot oil, wax paper and aluminum foil; when it exploded. Some things haz gots to be learnt the hard way... Darlington haz potential! (I mades a funny...)

[@adric137]

who is the science godddess

[@rEsonansDx]

That cat, though. haha

[@thoxbui]

One day, Darlington will be as famous as Schrödinger's.

[@sonicase]

kitty loves science hmm i got a little nixie lamp i should try that, too bad my cat friend moved away :/

[@williefleete]

i should name my cat Mosfet if i ever get one

[@Muck-qy2oo]

Kitty cat the electro kit-.. (Y) :D

[@larrykaufhold6108]

Lets say I'm the plastic jar. How would I discharge the Charge? And Prevent further charging?. I have a third eye. It's powered by phosphorus. Humans are the clear plastic. Red and Black devils are different aluminum entities Pleas help. I need help Now!. After thinking about it I think there are 3 different types of capacitors?? 90 degrees opposed! I only want to discharge two at a time. Acid Base and 2 Neutrals It could be the aluminum could be one and gold or copper foil for the other capacitor. Black and white alum Colored copper! The third is grey and gray. I want these two greays (selectable) to never discharge! The clear is one of the greays! Grays are Temp related!

[@obc993]

omg iluv u

[@Muonium1]

I like how the electrophorus creates the illusion of a perpetual motion machine or perpetually inexhaustible energy source. It looks like you're violating some law of physics by 'drawing electricity out' of the foam continually. I suppose the actual origin of the energy must be due to the fact that you are working against what must be a very small electrostatic repulsion when the two pieces are "forced" together, converting kinetic energy into an electrostatic field.

[@kreynolds1123]

After grounding a metal plate over an electrostaticlly charged plate, the metal becomes charged. one works against electrostatic attraction, and while the plate approaches the layden jar to store a charge, one works against electrostatic repulsion.

[@chanroy2118]

that is another function of cat. in the past time people use cat to produce electrict. hahaha....

[@kefsound]

meowwww :D