- #1
silverdiesel
- 65
- 0
I am looking for some help on how to apply the law of energy conservation when applied to a voltage difference. Specifically, here is what I am thinking.
If you build a voltage difference on a capacitor, I know it takes energy to build that difference, but once it is there, can the resulting electric field preform work without reducing the potential difference? Say I have a charged sphere on a lever connected to a weight, or gears, some load. Then, I place this sphere/lever system into the electric field of the capacitor. The sphere will move, as will the lever, as will the load. Now, if the lever is not long enough, or not allowed to move far enough to actually touch the plates of the capicitor, there will be no loss of energy in the potential difference, yet, the load will have moved by some use of energy from somewhere... right? What am I missing? I hope I have explained my set-up well enough to be understood.
If you build a voltage difference on a capacitor, I know it takes energy to build that difference, but once it is there, can the resulting electric field preform work without reducing the potential difference? Say I have a charged sphere on a lever connected to a weight, or gears, some load. Then, I place this sphere/lever system into the electric field of the capacitor. The sphere will move, as will the lever, as will the load. Now, if the lever is not long enough, or not allowed to move far enough to actually touch the plates of the capicitor, there will be no loss of energy in the potential difference, yet, the load will have moved by some use of energy from somewhere... right? What am I missing? I hope I have explained my set-up well enough to be understood.