Weight Issues

[Adam Glatt]

Guys, this myth needs to be addressed at some point.

Chemical batteries store energy in the chemical formulations present.  
The atoms that compose these battery chemicals don't leave or enter the 
battery - they are there at the time of manufacture, and are there until 
the cell is is no longer sealed.  In the discharged state there is a 
prevalence of a low energy chemical formulation.  Apply a greater 
voltage across the battery to cause electrons to move through it, and 
those chemicals will gain (or lose) the electrons while another area of 
the battery loses electrons.  The net result is higher energy molecules 
are formed.  The higher energy molecules would love to undergo a 
reaction and gain those electrons again, but they can't because of the 
electric field already built up by a few molecules doing it already 
(lithium polymer builds 4.2v).  Give the build up of electrons a way to 
get back to the other side, and they'll take it.  Don't believe me? 
Touch your battery's negative line to the a metal water pipe in your 
house.  If the battery could cause current to flow without electrons 
re-entering on the other side, there would be a current flow.  There 
will be no current flow.

 This is similar in function to a capacitator, which stores energy in 
electric fields.  A capacitor also gains as many electrons on the 
negative side as it loses on the positive side.

Battery mass does not change.  Once sealed, it stays constant until 
unsealead.

Adam Glatt

John Pavlick wrote:

>John,
> That would make too much sense (11 lbs with fuel for all). It would also
>put an end to a lot of nonsense (should the batteries be charged?) I
>suggested this a while ago (in so many words) but nobody thought it was a
>good idea. I think a lot of problems with our rules come from the way things
>are worded - it allows for some pretty interesting interpretations. Maybe
>the next batch of rule changes will be a little more explicit so we can all
>concentrate on flying instead.
>
>John Pavlick
>http://www.idseng.com
>  
>
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