From: Steven Eiger (eiger@montana.edu)
Date: Tue Nov 16 1999 - 20:41:41 PST
Message-Id: <l03102801b457dbfc7555@[153.90.241.107]> Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 22:41:41 -0600 From: Steven Eiger <eiger@montana.edu> Subject: Re: pinhole Water molecules
Marc, All this can be looked up, but I do not have the time; but one old
(oversimplified) model and description was called the "flickering cluster"
model. Large numbers of water molecules are hydrogen bonded together to
form blocks of ice, I would guess hundreds or thousands of water molecules
make up each cluster; the key is that they remain stuck together for a
short time - on the order of a trillionth of a second or less, thus they
are breaking and reforming on a short time scale. As the molecules can
orient themselves in an electric field, the stream of water ought to be
affected. People have said that I am incorrect calling this induction,
perhaps, but I have not taught physics for some time now and I was always a
bit sloppy with terminology, but I can envision an effect upon molecular
orientation in such a field. While the molecules are each small, there are
many of them. Has anyone tried attracting the water stream with a static
positive charge? This would support an inductive like affect. If that
doesn't work, then ask Paul about how falling water in clouds gets charged,
or some other explanation. Steve
>I understand that the current model for liquids is to think of them as
>comprised of tiny, temporary, dynamic packets of highly ordered (i.e.
>solid) material sliding past each other, much like flowing grains of
>sand. How does the explanation I learned (and offered) regarding the
>attraction to a static charge change in light of the new model?
>
>Does anyone have an approximation of the average number of molecules
>that each of these tiny packets contains for, say, water at 25C?
>
>-Marc
>
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Steven Eiger, Ph.D.
Departments of Biology and the WWAMI Medical Education Program
Montana State University - Bozeman
Bozeman, MT 59717-3460
Voice: (406) 994-5672
E-mail: eiger@montana.edu
FAX: (406) 994-3190
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