Re: [APD] Odyssea Lights: Are they a P.o.S,?

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

Actually, pure H2O won't conduct; it just won't pass the electrons. When H2O evaporates and then condenses, that is literally distilled water -- that's how you distill water. But as soon as you have some metal or salts dissolved in the water, that's a whole diff story.
For those of you that are incredibly adventurous and willing to risk the dangers of working with 120VAC, fill a beaker with distilled water, cut one line of a lamp cord, put the two cut ends in the distilled water so that the ends are not touching each other but are in the water, then plug in the cord. The lamp will not light. As soon as you add, say, a bit of table salt to the water, the light will begin to illuminate.
Although H2O molecules tend to be polar, slightly more neg on one side and more pos on the other because of the way the H atoms sort of bunch over to one side (iirc, they're about 140 degrees apart), still they don't like to pick up and release extra electrons, which is what you need for the H2O to conduct a current. The kinetic energy of the molecules keeps the molecules (and their polarity) turned every which way. Once you slow down the kinetic energy enough (i.e., chill the water), the polarities line up pos to neg to pos, etc. and a crystal structure forms. The bonds between the molecules then become pretty strong (solid water, aka "ice"). The crystal structure actually holds the molecules farther apart on average than when they are bouncing around in a liquid state -- so a given mass of water occupies about 10% more space when solid than when liquid, which also means solid water is less dense than liquid water. Thus, solid H2O floats on liquid H2O. That Ice floats is ac!
 tually not only nice for cocktails, it's an important part of how ocean currents work. The earth would be nastier place if all the ice sank.
Water on copper electrical contacts isn't a nice situation either, but the condensate, immediately after it forms, isn't conductive. A short while in the presence of copper, then things start to change.
sh
 
* * * * * * * * * 
The deadline is Oct 12 for getting the special Convention room rate!
 
Only 3 or fewer seats still available for the Field Trip
 
Learn about the Aquatic Gardeners Association Convention at 
http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/convention.html


----- Original Message ----
From: Stuart Halliday <stuart at stuarthalliday_com>
To: aquatic plants digest <aquatic-plants at actwin_com>
Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2006 7:35:44 AM
Subject: Re: [APD] Odyssea Lights: Are they a P.o.S,?


I believe Jerry Baker wrote this email section below:

> Condensate does not conduct electricity, so unless 
> you have salted you connections recently that shouldn't cause any issues.

Condensation is water vapour on a surface. Of course it conducts! :-)





-- 
Stuart Halliday
_______________________________________________
Aquatic-Plants mailing list
Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo/aquatic-plants

_______________________________________________
Aquatic-Plants mailing list
Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo/aquatic-plants