chu@hanauma.jpl.nasa.gov (Eugene Chu) (06/17/91)
In a previous response to a posting about Apogee speakers producing ozone, I gave the wrong information about its composition. (Bad memories of chemistry classes.) Ozone (O3) is formed by collision of oxygen molecules (O2) with oxygen atoms (O). The oxygen atoms are formed by strong electrical charges (in this case, used in the Apogee field plates) breaking up O2 molecules. So, the most likely culprit of O3 producer in you system is STILL the Apogee speakers Sorry for the misinformation. eyc
sbhattac@cmcl2.NYU.EDU (Shankar Bhattacharyya) (06/18/91)
I have no opinion on what in Tim's system might be generating ozone, except that I doubt that it really is ozone. Obviously, I cannot know that to be the case. Meanwhile: In article <13175@uwm.edu> chu@hanauma.jpl.nasa.gov (Eugene Chu) writes: > Ozone (O3) is formed by collision of oxygen molecules >(O2) with oxygen atoms (O). The oxygen atoms are formed by strong electrical >charges (in this case, used in the Apogee field plates) breaking up O2 >molecules. So, the most likely culprit of O3 producer in you system is >STILL the Apogee speakers Would you elaborate on the field plates? I thought the Apogees were ribbon drivers, all the way. I could be wrong about that. Meanwhile, if they are ribbons, what are they doing with field plates (electrical fields, that is)? Ribbon drivers should have plates or something like that to establish the magnetic field, but it would take a horrendous magnetic field to rip oxygen molecules apart. If any of the Apogees have electrostatic components operating at the ragged edge, they may give off some ozone, but not if they are just ribbons. For that matter, even reasonably substantial electrical fields will not cause ozone to be formed. Generating ozone in living room conditions takes a discharge. If there is a persistent spark somewhere, as in a faulty switch, some ozone may be generated. Persistent discharges of the type you see in the plasma drivers (cf Hill, etc.) will generate ozone. Electrostatics will generate ozone if they discharge. This is not common in commercial designs. I have built esl's at home which did this when I raised the polarizing voltage too high (they established a steady arc into the floor), but I have no idea if any ozone was generated, and short of that sort of discharge ozone is exceedingly unlikely. It is actually much more likely that the odour that Tim Majni mentioned was from nitrogen oxides, which are easily generated by sparks in an atmosphere which contains both nitrogen and oxygen, which the earth's atmosphere obviously does. In fact, this is how nitric acid is made commercially, and if you strike a pair of pieces of quartz together, the sparks will achieve this. The odour is quite common around malfunctioning electrical equipment, and, during an ill-spent youth, most of my friends, and I, have generated them in various other ways. Nitrogen oxides are not exactly good for you either. Nitrous oxide is basically harmless, but the others are quite dangerous. - Shankar