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So, I'm reading The Mysterious Island (and if you are ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
eor you know what's going to come next - I'm either about to rant about the stupid, or ramble about being confused. But Eor is not here at the moment, so I have to unload to the LJ.), and
I just came to this bit where Smith is making a telegraph to communicate between the sheepfold and their house. He doesn't even consider using copper wire, he says he's going to use iron wire. Shortly thereafter it is revealed that they haven't found any copper deposits on the island, but that seems to not relate, in Verne's mind, to the making of wire - it's regrettable because Smith wants to make a battery. Iron wire? Is that what was usually used for telegraphs? I suppose I should go look this up.
But on to the battery. Now, I had assumed that if he needed power he would use the watermill (already built) to produce it. Then I thought, "Ah, they're making a battery in order to carry the electricity physically from where it is produced (at the watermill) to where they need it (at the sheepfold) without running more wire. Clumsy, but it'll do." Nope. This battery doesn't store electricity, it produces it. He puts nitrous acid in one part and a potash/water solution in the other part, and two strips of zinc (which they happened to have because of... well, never mind) and an small electric current results. *blinks* Yeah, I knew that was possible, but I'd sort of forgotten. I'm just in a habit of thinking of batteries as things that store electricity.
I could just assume it's all good, since he lived much closer to the invention and use of things like telegraphs than I do, he probably knew what he was talking about. Still, it seems as though one would need a much stronger electrical current in order to run it through an iron wire probably four or more miles long. I find myself concerned with thoughts of what he can possibly coat or cover the wire with to keep the electricity from getting grounded out by something (animal, plant) brushing against the wire, when he hasn't got plastics. Plastics!eorsaid if Verne had written these days, the making of plastic would have taken precedence over the making of metal. :) I should really not complain, I should just wait and see how he works this out.
eor you know what's going to come next - I'm either about to rant about the stupid, or ramble about being confused. But Eor is not here at the moment, so I have to unload to the LJ.), and I just came to this bit where Smith is making a telegraph to communicate between the sheepfold and their house. He doesn't even consider using copper wire, he says he's going to use iron wire. Shortly thereafter it is revealed that they haven't found any copper deposits on the island, but that seems to not relate, in Verne's mind, to the making of wire - it's regrettable because Smith wants to make a battery. Iron wire? Is that what was usually used for telegraphs? I suppose I should go look this up.
But on to the battery. Now, I had assumed that if he needed power he would use the watermill (already built) to produce it. Then I thought, "Ah, they're making a battery in order to carry the electricity physically from where it is produced (at the watermill) to where they need it (at the sheepfold) without running more wire. Clumsy, but it'll do." Nope. This battery doesn't store electricity, it produces it. He puts nitrous acid in one part and a potash/water solution in the other part, and two strips of zinc (which they happened to have because of... well, never mind) and an small electric current results. *blinks* Yeah, I knew that was possible, but I'd sort of forgotten. I'm just in a habit of thinking of batteries as things that store electricity.
I could just assume it's all good, since he lived much closer to the invention and use of things like telegraphs than I do, he probably knew what he was talking about. Still, it seems as though one would need a much stronger electrical current in order to run it through an iron wire probably four or more miles long. I find myself concerned with thoughts of what he can possibly coat or cover the wire with to keep the electricity from getting grounded out by something (animal, plant) brushing against the wire, when he hasn't got plastics. Plastics!
eorsaid if Verne had written these days, the making of plastic would have taken precedence over the making of metal. :) I should really not complain, I should just wait and see how he works this out.