The charge acquired by a spherical ball bouncing on an electrode:comparison between theory and experiment

摘要

This paper presents an experimental study of the dynamics of aconducting ball in a poorly conducting liquid subjected to an electricfield. When the applied voltage is constant the ball bounces regularlyon the lower electrode. The minimum voltage for lift-off, as well as thetime of flight between contacts, depends on the charge acquired by theball during the contact with the electrode. The experiments have beendone with liquids of different conductivities and we have found thatthere is no influence of the conductivity on the lift-off voltages. Wehave also registered and studied the current pulses produced when theball gets in contact with the lower electrode