Recent content by John Galt

  1. J

    Temperature generated by resistance wire?

    Oops, I forgot that inductance results in a coiled wire with current going through it, hence the voltage sag. I like your idea of the power regulating knob. I didn't want to purchase a voltmeter or ammeter, but it's possible to find one for cheap I suppose. Edit* I understand that heat...
  2. J

    Temperature generated by resistance wire?

    The power supply is from a 12vac transformer rated at .6A. The transformer is just one of those 'plug into the wall' types. I'm embedding the resistance wire in ceramic to make a heating element. The temperature I'm shooting for would be enough to light a cigarette upon contact with the clay...
  3. J

    Temperature generated by resistance wire?

    Temperature generated by resistance wire?? I've got a problem I need some help on. I have 9.42 inches of a semi-coiled (the coils are horizantal, not vertical like wrapping wire around a pencil) design resistance wire rated at 4.701 ohms/foot. I have a 12vac power source with a 600ma...
  4. J

    How would you solve this problem?

    I am sizing an electric heating element to produce a steady supply of heat. The heating element consists of a ceramic tube, coiled on the outside with resistance wire. This tube is encapsulated by another larger ceramic tube and the space between them is evacuated to help direct the heat to...
  5. J

    When a battery will no longer produce current

    Well, if that's true, there is still charge left in a battery when it won't work anymore because it has nowhere to go. What if both poles of a spent battery were wired to a new grounded reservoir? Would current flow?
  6. J

    When a battery will no longer produce current

    When a battery will no longer produce current does this mean the negative and positive terminals have equal charge? Current flows from the negative to the positive based on there being a higher and a lower electric potential between the poles, so when the current stops flowing is it because...
  7. J

    DC Grids: A Thing of the Past or the Future?

    In California, solar power companies install mostly photovoltaic cells in many locations. A big marketing incentive for consumers to buy is that if you aren't using power and your cells are generating it, the meter spins backwards and the power company may even owe you $$ per kwh at market rate...
  8. J

    DC Grids: A Thing of the Past or the Future?

    If you use AC in your house to power appliances, then why wouldn't AC be able to flow past the meter? Is there a rectifier between the grid and the meter and an inverter between the meter and household load?
  9. J

    DC Grids: A Thing of the Past or the Future?

    I live in the USA and I was wondering, if I plug a gasoline generator capable of generating power into the wall outlet in my home and generate more current than I'm using to power my house, will the excess current being generated force the meter to spin the opposite way in proportion to the to...
  10. J

    How can I safely transform 120v power to 12v for a fan?

    Berkeman, thank you for the warnings, I am not going to attempt this project until I have an OK on my wiring schematic. I will settle for no less than UL safety standard as I do not want to injure myself. For the record, I am a hobbyist with VERY limited physics training (high school and...
  11. J

    Is Improving the Educational System the Key to Achieving a Perfect Economy?

    I'm very happy I live in the USA. I am going to be my own boss and where else can I file a few papers and actually start my own business than here? Compare my income taxes of approximately 30% with Sweden's of nearly 70% and you'll see why it is so attractive to the entrepreneur to set up shop...
  12. J

    Is Improving the Educational System the Key to Achieving a Perfect Economy?

    A monopoly can't exist without a consumer to buy their product. They need to have enough consumers to pay them, or else they aren't going to make any money...that is the limit on the prices they can set for their goods. If a bread congolomorate/monopoly existed and charged $1,000 per loaf...
  13. J

    How does 120, 240 and 440 circuits work?

    Somebody might tell you here, but if you search two things on google you'll be a lot more prepared to understand any of their answers: First, search "voltage amperage resistance" Second, search "transformers" You'll need the first to understand the second.
  14. J

    Is Improving the Educational System the Key to Achieving a Perfect Economy?

    I just finished my first Ayn Rand work today Atlas Shrugged so I understand, and really always have, capitalism's superiority to other economic systems. Basically, happiness is too subjective a term. What my hapiness equals isn't what your happiness equals. Communism and other social...
  15. J

    How can I safely transform 120v power to 12v for a fan?

    Hi there, I'm new here. I'm working on a project and I have a technical question regarding the wiring of the components. First, is wall power AC or DC? It seems that if there is a positive and negative terminal in the wall outlet, it would be DC (like a battery). But then again my...
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