Why do the plates attract in Rene's experiment?

In summary, the conversation revolved around a claim made by Ralph Rene, a prominent moon hoax believer who also called himself the 'Last Sceptic of Science'. Among his claims were his disproof of Coulomb's law, which he demonstrated through an experiment with a two leaf electroscope. However, his claims have been deemed as crackpottery and not worth discussing on the forum. The original poster also mentioned their own research on Rene's work and their intention to write a book on the subject. The conversation ends with the confirmation of understanding and the intention to be a helpful member of the forum.
  • #1
TK Wilson
Hi all

I'm new to this forum, and this is my first post. I have a question related to a claim by Ralph Rene, and his 'disproof' of Coulomb's law.

Rene was a prominent moon hoax believer and called himself the 'Last Sceptic of Science'. Amongst his claims were his reduction of relativity to an absurdity, his disproof of Newton's law of Gravitation and his disproof of Archimedes principle.

To prove Coulomb's law wrong, Rene conducted an experiment. He designed a two leaf electroscope whereby each leaf could be charged to different potentials separately. I'm not sure how he confirmed the charge or potential of each leaf, or how he ensured he had no leakage, but let's assume he accurately knew the potential and charge.

Rene charged each leaf to an equal potential, say +V. As expected, he found the leaves repelled (these are his claims not mine). He then lowered the potential of one of the leaves to +v, i.e. the same polarity, but a lower potential. (again his claims and words). He found the plates attracted. Rene claims that in these circumstances like charges attract and Coulomb's law needs to be revised. I think I know the answer to this question, but like any good enquiring scientist, I'll ask my peers first.

Why did the plates attract?

It would be really great to have a discussion on this first, and the moved into the mathematics after a consensus can be agreed.

Thanks guys...

TK
 
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  • #2
What's the point? Ralph Rene was a professional conspiracy theorist. If there is a measurement of this effect in a published, peer-reviewed journal, it's worth discussing. If it's just his say-so, it's not: it's in the same category as his claim that pi isn't equal to 3.14159...

We don't discuss crackpottery on PF.
 
  • #3
Vanadium 50 said:
What's the point? Ralph Rene was a professional conspiracy theorist. If there is a measurement of this effect in a published, peer-reviewed journal, it's worth discussing. If it's just his say-so, it's not: it's in the same category as his claim that pi isn't equal to 3.14159...

We don't discuss crackpottery on PF.

Thank you for the reply, I was not aware of the forum rules. I will post within the spirit of the forum rules and guidelines in future.

As an aside, I agree Rene is hardly worth discussing. Sadly, my own philosophical view is that the internet is a wonderful opportunity for education, but has been plagued by crackpottery. I am researching various strands of his 'work' with the view of writing a book to correct the record. I will take my question elsewhere, and confirm my understanding. I am sure I will find the answer at the IOP of which I am a member.

Thanks again, I look forward to being a useful contributor to the forum.

Best wishes

TK
 

1. Why do the plates attract each other in Rene's experiment?

In Rene's experiment, the plates attract each other because of the force of electromagnetism. This force is created by the movement of electrons in the plates, causing them to have opposite charges. Opposite charges attract each other, causing the plates to stick together.

2. What is the significance of the plates being made of metal in Rene's experiment?

The plates being made of metal is significant because metals are good conductors of electricity. This allows for the movement of electrons in the plates, creating the force of electromagnetism that causes them to attract each other.

3. How does the distance between the plates affect the attraction in Rene's experiment?

The distance between the plates affects the attraction in Rene's experiment because the force of electromagnetism decreases as the distance between two objects increases. This means that the closer the plates are to each other, the stronger the attraction will be.

4. Why do the plates only attract when a battery is connected in Rene's experiment?

The plates only attract when a battery is connected because the battery provides a source of energy to move the electrons in the plates. Without this energy, there would be no force of electromagnetism and the plates would not attract each other.

5. How does the polarity of the battery affect the attraction in Rene's experiment?

The polarity of the battery affects the attraction in Rene's experiment because it determines the direction of the electric current and thus, the movement of electrons in the plates. If the polarity of the battery is reversed, the plates will have the same charge and repel each other instead of attracting.

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