[SGVLUG] Off-topic - home guerrilla solar systems

[Dustin Laurence]

On Tue, Feb 20, 2007 at 10:51:20PM -0800, juanslayton at dslextreme.com wrote:
> 
> I think I read somewhere that the mean drift of electrons through a
> conductor is on the order of a few centimeters per second.

The mean bulk velocity probably isn't the most relevant quantity for
this (again, I say, meaningless) "same electron" idea, as the individual
electrons will be moving very much faster than that.  Thus there ought
to be plenty of diffusion going on even without current.  But I haven't
tried to calculate it.

> ...So unless your
> house is very small, very few electrons actually leave the premises, and
> on an AC line, these promptly return.

I say again, it is impossible even in principle to know if they are "the
same electrons"; it's not entirely a well-formed question even.

> ...It's a zero sum game.  Maybe Edison
> should pay a use tax for my providing access....  : )

Well, Edison is providing you a significant source of negentropy, or
sink for entropy if you will.  I imagine you want to maintain access to
this convenient entropy sink, just as you are no doubt happy to be able
to purchase bulk quantities of highly-ordered low-entropy compounds from
the gas company and from filling stations.  I'm not sure they'll keep
carting away your waste entropy, as it were, if you try any funny
business about the electrons.

Dustin

-- 
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