Groups > sci.physics.relativity > #383810

Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum

From	Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address>
Newsgroups	sci.physics.relativity
Subject	Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum
Date	2016-05-20 13:25 +1000
Message-ID	<dq7ecmF5m33U1@mid.individual.net> (permalink)
References	<ed35d22d-7c21-40c7-9b6e-28863ec8961e@googlegroups.com>

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On 13/05/2016 12:32 PM, John Heath wrote:
> If I throw an electron in space towards you it will go in that
> direction under its own momentum in the vacuum of space. The sun does
> this all the time sending bursts of electrons and protons in our
> general direction , corona bursts , northern lights. If there is a
> slight Coulomb force for an electron in a copper wire it will also
> flow in the direction of that force with little resistance. One could
> conclude from this that both a vacuum and a copper wire have very
> little resistance to electron movement. With this in mind a circuit
> board of electronics when placed in a vacuum should completely short
> out as both a vacuum and copper allow freedom for an electron to move
> freely to move. This is clearly not the case? If a vacuum is not an
> insulator and copper is not an insulator then maybe it is the
> transition between copper and a vacuum that is the insulator
> restricting the movement of electrons. Does this sound reasonable?
>

A vacuum presents no obstacle to the movement of electrons. However, an 
electron in a vacuum has more energy than an electron in a conductor, 
and electrons in a conductor at room temperature have a negligible 
chance of acquiring enough energy to enter the vacuum. So in that 
context, the vacuum looks like an insulator.

Heat the conductor up to red-heat, however, and the situation changes. 
Now electrons will frequently break free from the conductor, and if 
there's an electric field around, the electrons will be moved by it.

This, of course, is exactly how thermionic valves work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_tube

There is no mystery here.

Sylvia.

Thread

Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-12 19:32 -0700
  Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-12 20:39 -0700
    Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Helmut Wabnig <hwabnig@.- --- -.dotat> - 2016-05-13 14:20 +0200
      Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-13 07:53 -0700
    Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-13 18:05 -0700
      Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-13 18:40 -0700
  Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum poutnik4nntp@gmail.com - 2016-05-13 05:48 -0700
    Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-13 17:07 -0700
      Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-13 17:49 -0700
        Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-13 17:56 -0700
      Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum poutnik4nntp@gmail.com - 2016-05-17 08:36 -0700
        Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-22 11:06 -0700
  Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum dlzc <dlzc1@cox.net> - 2016-05-13 08:32 -0700
    Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-13 16:27 -0700
      Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum dlzc <dlzc1@cox.net> - 2016-05-13 17:58 -0700
        Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-13 18:16 -0700
          Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-13 18:44 -0700
          Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-13 19:10 -0700
  Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Tom Roberts <tjroberts137@sbcglobal.net> - 2016-05-13 15:30 -0500
    Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-13 16:09 -0700
      Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Prokaryotic Caspase Homolog <prokaryotic.caspase.homolog@gmail.com> - 2016-05-13 18:09 -0700
        Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-13 19:06 -0700
          Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-13 19:18 -0700
          Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-13 19:32 -0700
            Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-13 20:04 -0700
            Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-13 20:08 -0700
              Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-13 20:19 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Virgil <VIRGIL@VIRGIL.com> - 2016-05-13 22:10 -0600
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-14 06:35 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-14 06:51 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-14 06:58 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-14 07:21 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-14 08:37 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-14 08:43 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-14 09:39 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-14 09:44 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-14 12:07 -0700
          Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Prokaryotic Caspase Homolog <prokaryotic.caspase.homolog@gmail.com> - 2016-05-14 07:10 -0700
            Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-14 12:26 -0700
              Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Prokaryotic Caspase Homolog <prokaryotic.caspase.homolog@gmail.com> - 2016-05-14 14:09 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-14 15:07 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Prokaryotic Caspase Homolog <prokaryotic.caspase.homolog@gmail.com> - 2016-05-14 23:44 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-15 07:44 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Prokaryotic Caspase Homolog <prokaryotic.caspase.homolog@gmail.com> - 2016-05-15 21:16 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Tom Roberts <tjroberts137@sbcglobal.net> - 2016-05-16 00:05 -0500
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum benj <nobodyxx@gmail> - 2016-05-16 02:13 -0400
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Odd Bodkin <bodkinodd@gmail.com> - 2016-05-16 09:41 -0500
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum dlzc <dlzc1@cox.net> - 2016-05-16 10:55 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Tom Roberts <tjroberts137@sbcglobal.net> - 2016-05-17 13:19 -0500
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Gogo <jfgogo22@yahoo.com> - 2016-05-18 18:53 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum "David (Time Lord) Fuller" <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-18 19:25 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum "David (Time Lord) Fuller" <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-18 19:29 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum "David (Time Lord) Fuller" <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-18 19:40 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum "David (Time Lord) Fuller" <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-18 19:45 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum "David (Time Lord) Fuller" <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-18 20:12 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum "Ross A. Finlayson" <ross.finlayson@gmail.com> - 2016-05-19 22:16 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum "David (Time Lord) Fuller" <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-18 19:21 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-16 19:19 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Tom Roberts <tjroberts137@sbcglobal.net> - 2016-05-17 09:33 -0500
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-17 08:29 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum David Fuller <fuller.david@hotmail.com> - 2016-05-17 08:38 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum "Ross A. Finlayson" <ross.finlayson@gmail.com> - 2016-05-19 21:42 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-22 10:18 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Gogo <jfgogo22@yahoo.com> - 2016-05-18 18:44 -0700
                Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-16 19:46 -0700
  Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Francis Oldogf <francisoldogf@gmail.com> - 2016-05-18 23:40 -0700
  Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-05-20 13:25 +1000
    Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-22 11:38 -0700
      Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum dlzc <dlzc1@cox.net> - 2016-05-22 12:03 -0700
        Re: Conductors and insulators in a vacuum John Heath <heathjohn2@gmail.com> - 2016-05-22 13:24 -0700

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