Re: Coulomb's constant is a CGS kludge

From: John C. Polasek (jpolasek_at_cfl.rr.com)
Date: 02/27/05 

Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 11:57:29 -0500

On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 20:48:18 -0500, John C. Polasek
<jpolasek@cfl.rr.com> wrote:

>Coulomb's constant is freely used in cgs electrostatics, yet it is
>merely a kludge, a fix, a patch. A little analysis using mks units can
>demonstrate this.
>Firstly it should be clear that a reasonable definition for D is: :
> D = Q/4pi*r^2 coul/m^2
>which is simply charge Q spread over any size spherical area.
>
>In SI or mks we use eps0 to characterize the vacuum:
> eps0 = 8.8e-12 farad/meter or coul/volt*meter
>since a farad is capacity in coul/volt
>
>We can get the electric field by dividing D by eps0:
> E = D(coul/m^2)/eps0 (coul/volt*meter)
> E = D/eps0 volt/meter
> E = Q/4pi*eps0*r^2 volt/meter (1)
>The force exerted on another charge Q is given by:
> F = E*Q = Q^2/4pi eps0 r^2 newtons
>
>Here CGS commits its original sin: "eps0 is an arbitrary constant of
>no consequence, so we can simplify Eq. (1)":
> E' = Q'/r^2 notV/m (it's something else)
>
>What has really happened, without anyone noticing, is that the
>environment 4pi eps0 has been recklessly absorbed into the charge Q'.
>Q' can no longer be denominated in coulombs.
>
>Now, to find the force between two charges in CGS, for uniformity we
>have to use both mongrel charges Q'
> F' = Q'^2/r^2
>But it doesn't work. We have to use Coulomb's constant:
> K =1/4pi eps0
>so we have
> F = KQ'^2/r^2 newtons again
>The effect of Coulomb's constant is to exorcise the test charge Q'
>and change it back into coulombs by
> Q = Q'/4pi eps0 coulombs
> F = QQ'/r^2 newtons
>Coulomb's constant is a patch used to purify the mongrel charge Q'.
>
>After this breakthrought, there followed, in CGS. a fevered
>manufacturing sequence of new hybrid units, abvolts, statvolts,
>abamperes, etc. none of which have any easy connection with real
>objects. There are no longer farads, just centimeters. When I studied
>E&M I knew for sure that a statvolt was 300 regular volts, but what I
>didn't know was that it wasn't a volt at all.
>
>A natural result of all this apostasy comes the easy assumption that
>units don't really count and finally nirvana, "natural" units, where
>almost everything is 1! If you want to make c = 1, divide everything
>else by c instead, because by making it 1 you have thrown out all the
>goodies.
>
>Abandoning real units can lead to real trouble. Anyone proposing to do
>any real creative new work in CGS is bound to run into dimensional
>conflicts that finally make the thesis impossible.
>
>Mr. Dual Space
>
>If you have something to say, write an equation.
>If you have nothing to say, write an essay

I have studied the polarizable vacuum at length and discovered some
astonishing facts which I have laid out in a "permittivity paper"
which has been added to my website:
http://www.dualspace.net.

I would appreciate it if you would study it thoughtfully. It is in
fact the basis for a whole new view of the universe, embodied in my
theory of Dual Space. For now I would just like to argue the content
of the permittivity paper, and I use it instead of responding to all
the replies in the newsgroups.

According to whopkins who opened up his own thread in sci.physics &
rel, he cites some of Maxwell's views which parallel my own, but which
have since been discarded. I have not seen Maxwell's book.

Mr. Dual Space

If you have something to say, write an equation.
If you have nothing to say, write an essay

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Coulombs constant is a CGS kludge
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