Capacitors, why even bother?

Drakkith

I think charging describes it unambiguously once you understand how a capacitor works, so I see no issue here.

Ratch

Drakkith,

Well, I think I know how a capacitor works as well as anyone, and I explained why there is an ambiguity in meaning. Won't you show me where I am wrong about that? Just making a proclamation without explanation in not meaningful.

Ratch

Drakkith

You aren't wrong. This isn't about wrong or right, but about personal opinion.

Greg-ulate

Ratch,

Everyone says Charge interchangeably with Energize in the context of batteries and capacitors... I bet you say "Hey where is my battery charger?" when you need to "Energize" the batteries in your phone or whatever.

Nobody says "I have a capacitor C net charged to V volts and therefore it stores CV^2/2 Joules of energy," so your argument is basically a Straw Man argument. Just because the net charge doesn't change, that doesn't make it wrong to say charged. Current flows out of one leg and into the other, one plate becomes charged with respect to the other plate. Then it stays there. It's stored there. Capacitors store charge.

I noticed that you have argued this point in other instances and while it is technically correct, and everything else you have to say is astute and meaningful in the context of the conversation, arguing this point is not constructive.

Greg-ulate

Firing a capacitor out of a cannon would also energize it, so its not any less ambiguous than saying charge.

sophiecentaur

We are all aware of this and the term " charge" incorporates this knowledge. Just what is your point? Do you seriously expect to change this established terminology? Don't hold your breath.

Ratch

Drakkith,

Thank you. I wanted to see that.

I can't do anything about that.

Greg-ulate,

I am careful not to say that.

No one says "I have a cap C energized to V volts and therefore it stores CV^2/2 joules of energy either, but so what is the point? What does that statement prove or disprove?

If I have a jar half filled with water, and turn it upside down so that the liquid switches to the top part of the jar, does that mean I filled the jar with liquid?

One plate becomes imbalanced with respect to the other plate. Moving a charge is an energy changing operation, not a charging one.

If you move the contents of a cupboard from one shelf to the other, you are not storing anything.

Thank you. I wanted to see that.

It would not give the cap any electrical energy, which is what we are talking about.

sophiecentaur,

No, the term charge is a misnomer in this case. As I showed in some examples in a previous post, some folks do use the correct terminology.

Ratch

sophiecentaur

@Ratch
You and the others who use your terminoligy are in a minority and your just "goin' on" about it gets you nowhere. That particular expression is dimensionally correct, unlike "volts going through you". "electromotive force" and "electrical resistance tries to stop the current" etc. and, it is perfectly acceptable.
Why waste you time on this when you are demonstrably quite capable of making worth while comments on other topics? You should pick your battlegrounds in places where you have a chance of winning.
Have a stress free and terminology free Christmas. I hope that when you charge your glass with wine, it doesn't discharge out of its other end.

jim hardy

ratch wroteI'll resist the obvious.

Try Asimov, On Physics and View from a Height. And Don Quixote.

the_emi_guy

Ratch,

Give us one example of where the term "charging" would be appropriate usage.

Ratch

sophiecentaur,

I would rather be in the correct minority than the wrong majority.

jim hardy,

Fiction writers? By the way, what does "common sense" have to do with this argument? I am either right or wrong. Some of you said I was right even though I should use wrong nomenclature.

the_emi_guy,

Ratch

I can't think of any for capacitors, and I have not seen any in the arguments against my position.

the_emi_guy

You can't think of *any* circumstance where you could correctly use the term "charging". We should remove it from our technical vocabulary entirely?

sophiecentaur

Ratch
You are losing your Capacity to see reason. That's a chargeable offence, I think. It goes against current thinking and is Potentially troublesome. Why resist? You will feel more at Ohm with things if you conduct yourself better. Your powers of Induction should bring you to a terminal conclusion. Or is it a case of Do or Die - electric?

jim hardy

deleted, on second thought...

Merry Christmas to all !!!!!!!!!!

sophiecentaur

And to you Jim and all the others

Drakkith

Well, I think this thread has run its course...

Ratch

sophiecentaur,

I admit I am biased toward TRUE meaning of words, and not the FALSE impression caused by the time decay of proper usage. The timely constant reminder I give when I talk about misnomers shows my incapacity to conduct myself as though they were never spoken. My inability to go with the current flow is intrinsic within me. For that I apologize.

Ratch