Achieving Infinite Voltage: Is It Possible?

[Rob Hoff]

Is it possible to achieve infinite voltage?

 

[perplexabot]

Hey! Cool question. I will try and answer your question but I think someone else may provide a better one. So according to wikipedia:

Voltage is equal to the work done per unit charge against a static electric field to move the charge between two points.

In other words, is it possible to have infinite work done per unit charge? Work is defined as the force that must be applied in the direction of the path the charge takes. So a simplified equation for work is W=F*d. Now the question becomes, is it possible to have infinite force or infinite distance applied to a charge? As we all know, F = ma.

So once more, the question can be restated as: Is it possible to have infinite mass, or infinite acceleration, or infinite distance?

For an object to obtain infinite mass, it must move at or higher than the speed of light. This is not possible as the great Einstein has proven.

For an object to have infinite acceleration, it must move at infinite speed. This is also not possible as Einstein has shown.

For a distance to be infinite, the universe must be infinite. As far as I know, this has not been proven. Even if it was, you would have to move the particle an infinite distance which is not feasible.

So, the final answer is no (maybe theoretically but probably not experimentally).

 

[Rob Hoff]

If voltage can be viewed as pressure, and pressure can be subbed in for gravity in a Farnsworth Hirsch fusor and gravity can be infinite why can't the pressure do the same as gravity?

Sorry I'm posting about gravity in the electrical engineering section.

 

[perplexabot]

If voltage can be viewed as pressure, and pressure can be subbed in for gravity in a Farnsworth Hirsch fusor and gravity can be infinite why can't the pressure do the same as gravity?

Sorry I'm posting about gravity in the electrical engineering section.

Pressure and voltage are analogs, but they are not the same thing.

 

[NascentOxygen]

Is it possible to achieve infinite voltage?

Possibly. Do you have an infinite budget to fund the quest?

 

[Baluncore]

Is it possible to achieve infinite voltage?

Infinity is a mathematical concept. It does not exist in the real world.
So, theoretically yes; but only if you allow infinite energy.
Practically no; because you can't get infinite energy or insulation that will handle an infinite voltage gradient.

 

[meBigGuy]

In any real sense, infinite voltage is not obtainable, any more that infinite anything. It would require infinite resistance, infinite distance from other potentials, etc etc

Theoretically though it has mathematical usefullness, and it does not really require infinite energy.see Dirac delta function in wikipedia. Infinite impulse with integral of one.

 

[Baluncore]

Theoretically though it has mathematical usefullness, and it does not really require infinite energy.

The Dirac delta function is a purely mathematical concept of amplitude, not of voltage, nor of current.
It is applicable for example to Laplace and Fourier transforms that are devoid of all energy considerations.
It is not applicable to any system where the concept of capacitance as C = Q / V exists.

If the concept of capacitance exists, then an infinite voltage requires an infinite charge and an infinite energy.
E = ½ * C * V²
Zero capacitance is impossible as it requires infinite charge separation, which requires infinite energy to create that separation.

 

[meBigGuy]

The DDF can be applied to voltage or whatever.
It was incorrect of me to think that the integral of the voltage had anything to do with energy.
E=VQ pretty much says that infinite voltage means infinite energy unless there is 0 charge (which seems meaningless).

 

[berkeman]

Looks like the question has been answered pretty well.