An interesting experiment in electrolysis

[vineet_kiran]

If you drop an electret directly in salt water,  ions may react with it neutralising its charge and you may see gas bubbles from electret only till its charge is neutralised.  I don't think that an electret can hold its charge permanently as in analogy with magnets which hold magnetic fields permanently irresspective of their external actions.

Instead,  if you keep a thin glass tube filled with electrolytic solution between two oppositely charged plates connected to a very high voltage source,  the negative ions move towards positive plate and get concentrated on one inner side of the tube. Similarly positive ions get concentrated on the other inner side of the tube.  These denseley concentrated ions will react among themselves releasing gases from both inner sides of the tube.  Since there is no current flow from external source, there will not be any power consumption from external source.  You may have to account  only for leakage of charges from plates.

But is it practically possible to maintain a high voltage static electric charges between two plates?  My knowledge in electricity is limited.

Also you may have to first find out the break down or critical static voltge at which ions in the solution start moving towards oppositely charged external plates.

[profitis]

lets see: h2o> 2h+ + o +2e- and 2h20 + 2e- > h2 + 2oh-. Theoreticly there may be electrolysis at the rim edges of the electret where the electrostatic differentials meet and perhaps are able to propel electrons donated by the electrolyte cyclicly(electrons wont travel through the insulator).it would necessitate a breach of kelvin law though so one facet of the electret may cool and the adjacent facet warm up.i imagine the rate would be limited by recombination speed of o into o2 and adjacent h into h2.the electrostatic potential of the electret would matter too ofcourse i imagine..mm.so the goal is to use voltage without the need for current and simply force the electrons originaly donated to the oxygen by the hydrogen backward using a kelvin breach heat sink mm.. What you can try is simply apply a voltage(no current) to two graphite electrodes in saltwater that are very very close to each other and check if bubbles begin to emerge.check if bubbles emerge more the more closer the electrodes are

[vineet_kiran]

So the goal is to use voltage without the need for current .

I agree.  That is the key!

A simple idea would be to just cover the entire electret with a thin insulating material (may be a PVC film) and drop it into conducting water (ie., few drops of acid or salt is added to water to make it conducting).  H+ and OH- ions react among themselves on respective sides of the electret resulting in continuous outflow of Hydrogen and oxygen gases from the water.

If it really works, it would solve all problems related to shortage and clean energy.  Why sofar nobody has thought about it?   Is there any problem?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electret

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electret_microphone

What you can try is simply apply a voltage(no current) to two graphite electrodes in saltwater that are very very close to each other and check if bubbles begin to emerge.check if bubbles emerge more the more closer the electrodes are

I have tried it with two carbon electrodes removed from dry cells. The problem here is, it is not possible to apply only voltage without current.  When voltage is applied between electrodes keeping them very close,  even a meagre voltage will cause the current to flow between electrodes since at very close distance the resistance to flow of current is very less.

As you said in your earlier reply,  using an electret would be the best option.

[Newton II]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electret

Quote from the above wiki page :

"However, when an electret is moved with respect to a magnetic pole, a force is felt which acts perpendicular to the magnetic field, pushing the electret along a path 90 degrees to the expected direction of 'push' as would be felt with another magnet"

The above information looks very interesting to me. 

As per general understanding,  only electric charges moving within inside a metal or a material produce a magnetic field. But the above statement means that an electrically charged material as a whole when set in motion will also produce magnetic field.  If not it cannot experience repulsion from a permanent magnet as stated in the above wiki quote.

The strength of magnetic field produced by an electret in motion may depend on the strength of its electric field.  So, if you charge a material to a very heigh potential and set it in motion, will it produce a mega magnetic field?  Which is a magnetic field with terrific strength causing philadelphia effect? (any person entering into such a magnetic field would vanish off into nothing!!)

Can some genious answer this question?

 

[MarkE]

Quote from the above wiki page :

"However, when an electret is moved with respect to a magnetic pole, a force is felt which acts perpendicular to the magnetic field, pushing the electret along a path 90 degrees to the expected direction of 'push' as would be felt with another magnet"

The above information looks very interesting to me. 

As per general understanding,  only electric charges moving within inside a metal or a material produce a magnetic field. But the above statement means that an electrically charged material as a whole when set in motion will also produce magnetic field.  If not it cannot experience repulsion from a permanent magnet as stated in the above wiki quote.

The strength of magnetic field produced by an electret in motion may depend on the strength of its electric field.  So, if you charge a material to a very heigh potential and set it in motion, will it produce a mega magnetic field?  Which is a magnetic field with terrific strength causing philadelphia effect? (any person entering into such a magnetic field would vanish off into nothing!!)

Can some genious answer this question?

If only charges moving inside metal conductors gave rise to magnetic fields then there would be no such thing as radio.