Is This Spherical Electromagnet a Challenge to Gauss's Law?

In summary, the conversation discusses a website claiming to have created a hollow spherical electromagnet that can contain plasma. The credibility of the claims is questioned and the potential disproval of Gauss's law is mentioned. However, the website's patent application was rejected and the device's effectiveness is uncertain. The conversation concludes with clarification on the original question and doubts about the device's functionality.
  • #1
taylaron
Gold Member
397
1
I've stumbled upon a website that claims that he has created a hollow spherical electromagnet that could contain plasma.
http://justodians.org/SphericalMagnet/PatentApp.htm
I don't know the credibility of his claims but I would appreciate an analysis of his "invention". Does this device disprove Gauss's law: that the field inside a closed loop is zero? Or is there a mono-directional field (in relation to the center) that increases in strength as it becomes further away from the exact center of the sphere?

Regards- Tay
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
  • #2
taylaron said:
I've stumbled upon a website that claims that he has created a hollow spherical electromagnet that could contain plasma.
http://justodians.org/SphericalMagnet/PatentApp.htm
I don't know the credibility of his claims but I would appreciate an analysis of his "invention". Does this device disprove Gauss's law: that the field inside a closed loop is zero? Or is there a mono-directional field (in relation to the center) that increases in strength as it becomes further away from the exact center of the sphere?

Regards- Tay

I didn't spend much time reading it. The key phrases are "this invention is given freely to all people", and the fact that he says he filed the patent application in 2004. That means it was rejected.
 
  • #3
That could very well be; but just because it was supposedly rejected, doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't work. I admit it could be complete garbage.
But theoretically, could the device work? Is the theory sound enough? Although I suppose that is different from my original question. I think I solved my original question (answer is no) because the flux in the center of the "ball" would be zero and there would be surrounding that point.

-Tay
 

What is Gauss's Law?

Gauss's Law is a fundamental law in electromagnetism that describes the relationship between the electric flux through a closed surface and the charge enclosed within that surface.

What is considered evidence against Gauss's Law?

There are several phenomena that are considered evidence against Gauss's Law, such as the existence of magnetic monopoles and the violation of symmetry in certain situations.

How does the existence of magnetic monopoles contradict Gauss's Law?

Gauss's Law states that the net electric flux through a closed surface is equal to the charge enclosed within that surface divided by the permittivity of free space. However, the existence of magnetic monopoles, which have a magnetic charge but no electric charge, would result in a non-zero magnetic flux through the closed surface, contradicting Gauss's Law.

What is the role of symmetry in Gauss's Law?

Gauss's Law relies on the principle of symmetry, which states that if a system possesses a certain symmetry, then the electric field must also possess the same symmetry. However, there are some situations, such as when the electric field is not uniform, where this symmetry is violated, providing evidence against Gauss's Law.

Are there any experimental observations that contradict Gauss's Law?

Yes, there have been several experimental observations that contradict Gauss's Law, such as the observation of non-zero electric fields inside a closed surface and the violation of Gauss's Law in certain materials, such as ferroelectrics.

Similar threads

  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
21
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
5
Views
945
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
12
Views
4K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
28
Views
4K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
9
Views
4K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
20
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
1K
Back
Top