----- Original Message ----- From: mix...@bigpond.com Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 2:54 am Subject: Re: [Vo]:The Electric Field Outside a Stationary Resistive Wire Carrying a Constant Current
> In reply to Harry Veeder's message of Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:33:25 - > 0400:Hi, > [snip] > >> I've shown a roughly square wire loop, with a capacitor in the > bottom>> "leg" of the loop, and I've shown arrows next to the wire > >> indicating the > >> direction of the E field at all points. The capacitor plates are > >> labeled "+ plate" and "- plate". Around the capacitor, note > that > >> the E > >> field points the *other* *way* from the field near the wires. > > > >If the electrons follow the direction of the electric field > around the > >loop, but the electric field between the plates points in the > opposite>direction, how can the current keep flowing? The logic of > electric>fields implies the current should cease. > [snip] > Because there's a pile of them in one place, and that pile gets > smaller as the > capacitor/battery drains. Once it's empty, the current does indeed > stop. > Regards, > Yup, but that is not what bothers me. I have been unable to consistently apply the concept of an electric around a circuit with a steady current without it ending in a contradiction. Harry
